The Final Summary

As part of my “thank you” to my many supporters, family and friends, I wanted to write up a short summary of my six week stay in El Salvador. I have been trying to write this up for a while now but every time I try to start, I don’t know where to begin. I was thinking about what I should write and how I could express everything I did, felt and learned while I was there and I came to the realization that it would be near impossible for me to do that. I could write a book about every story, struggle, and success and I would cry and laugh through the whole thing while putting some people to sleep. After praying about it and reading through the journal that I kept while I was there, I was continually reminded that the important thing isn’t what I did but what He did and is still doing in El Salvador and in the lives of those people. It isn’t about me at all. I can’t tell you how many times I failed during those six weeks; times when I allowed frustration to get the best of me, times when I could have done more but accepted the easy route, times when I wanted to sleep rather than serve, etc. It was an almost constant internal battle between my selfish, sinful ways and the way of a humble servant of Christ. God never failed me though and I am so amazed by Him and His ability to use someone like me to share His love and His Word with people who are searching for a hope and a Savior. John 3:29b-30 says, “So this joy of mine has been made full, He must increase and I must decrease.” I hope that this overview of my trip does just that; glorifying God and recognizing Him as my Strength, my Protector and my One True Love while portraying me only as an instrument of Him.

I believe the only way to share about my trip is to be completely honest and transparent about it. Because of this I’ve decided to open up my journal and share some of the things I wrote while there. It’s very personal and close to my heart and so are El Salvador and the people I met there so I feel that it is appropriate. I don’t want to gloss over any of it or paint a pretty picture for you. These are real people with real problems, heartaches and feelings. I never thought this trip would impact me in the way that it did. To tell you that I had a “good trip” would be a lie and I don’t think that any of my supporters deserve that. El Salvador is a broken country. At first glance it would seem that it was a very “godly” place. There are signs all over, on buses, buildings, billboards, etc. proclaiming “The Lord is my shepherd,” “Jesus loves you,” and other “Christianity claims” but the hearts of many of the people are, in my opinion, empty and calloused. I don’t blame them. It’s a rough place. There are people living in shacks and under bridges. Gang violence has killed many loved ones and broken many families. Fathers have left, mothers are in jail and the children roam the streets. God is often spoken of but it almost seems like more tradition and empty thoughts rather than real and heartfelt words. I saw so many things (I’ll get into some of them later on) that are just wrong and disgusting.

I want to begin by saying a little about the other Americans that were there. I had no idea that I would be working so closely with other interns so it was both a surprise and a huge blessing. Now, thinking back, I can’t imagine doing it without them. Not only were they a ton of fun to be around but they also encouraged me, prayed with and for me and even corrected me when I needed it. I learned so much from each and every one of them; both in the things they said and the things they did. We began doing “intern devotions” which were times to read the Bible, pray, vent, cry, share and laugh. On June 6th, I wrote that I hoped that we (as interns) would become honest and transparent with one another while relying fully on God. My prayer was definitely answered. I can’t express how much these people meant to me and the special place that they will always have in my heart. It’s amazing to see God working in each of their lives and I am so excited to see where He takes each and every one of them. Every time I think or pray about these people my heart really does overflow with joy and gratitude.

It took me about a week to adjust to the living situation in El Salvador. As you probably know, I stayed in the Promise House. It was very hot, the showers were very cold, there were a lot of bugs (including cockroaches as long as my index finger) and there was NO privacy. Towards the end of the first week, I got pretty sick and I felt absolutely miserable. I had to get picked up from the center and taken back home. I was just lying in my bed and staring at the ceiling, wondering why God would bring me all the way to El Salvador only to be sick in bed. I remember calling home crying and thinking to myself that I was in way over my head. It ended up being a huge wake-up call though and a time for me to really set my focus on God; giving Him total control and admitting my weakness before Him. II Corinthians 12:9 has always been one of my favorite verses but it had never meant as much to me as then. One page of my journal has that verse written at the top with a prayer written below, crying out to God asking for His help and His strength. I asked the Lord two questions that I would continue to ask over the next 6 weeks and that I still ask today; “What am I doing here?” and “How am I truly touching and changing lives like I so desire to do?” Six weeks may seem like a long time but in the grand scheme of things, it isn’t and I wanted to know how I could help these people in a sustainable way.

I’d like to share a little with you about where I stayed and the people that I lived with. La Casa de Promesa (Promise House) is a halfway home for teenage mothers. There were 9 girls aged 12-18 living there with their 9 children, aged 8 months-4 years. Because I want you to realize that this is so much more than a story and that these are real people, I want to share all of their names with you: Tania and Nicole, Jessica and Alondra, Tatiana and Glenda, Marta and Miguel, Nubia and Alex, Johana and Jeremias, Daysie and Jefferson, Maricela and Nelsen, Susanah and Nancy. Obviously, because I was living in their house, I became very close to these girls and their children. They have all been victims of sexual abuse which resulted in their pregnancies. They didn’t choose this and that was difficult for me to swallow. I believe it to be one of the greatest injustices I have ever been in contact with. It’s disgusting really that these little girls were abused by much older men. Most of these men should have been in a position of trust and leadership as fathers, cousins, friends, etc. but rather they placed these girls in a world of fear, hate, pain and hardship. It was hard for me to really see these girls as mothers instead of the young girls that they are. They are the strongest group of people I have ever met. No, they weren’t perfect mothers but they have accepted the life they have been given with more dignity than I ever would. They have every right to be bitter and angry but they were the most loving and open girls I’ve ever spent time with. They welcomed me as a part of their ‘family’ and showed me the true meaning of love and acceptance. It was a love I didn’t have to earn and an acceptance I wasn’t going to lose. They have a joy that radiates in their sweet smiles and huge embraces. However, they do hurt and they do cry. They struggle with questions and doubt. They are afraid for their future and the future of their children. They want to be a good parent but don’t have any idea what that entails or even what it looks like. They don’t understand the concept of a positive male figure; they have never known the support of a loving father and they cry because their children will probably never know either. They feel guilt and shame over the things that have happened to them; things they couldn’t have prevented. They deserve to be treated like the beautiful, lively, and young girls that they are. In America, and other places around the world, the teenage years are a time of transition and learning; a time to prepare for the future and find out who you are and who you want to be. These girls didn’t get that time. They were thrust into motherhood with absolutely no support or help. I ask that you keep these girls in your prayers as they will continue to struggle daily. God does have a plan.

Every morning I was woken up around 4:30am and 5:30am. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I LOVE to sleep and waking me up is not a fun task. I either woke up to the sound of babies crying, water running, girls screaming or beans blending. To this day I cannot understand why it was necessary to put the beans in the blender. At first I was extremely annoyed and I really didn’t understand why they were awake at that time and making that much noise. It really turned out to be a blessing though and I can see that now looking back. I was able to spend good, quality time with Jesus in the morning before I began my day. Some of the biggest lessons I learned in El Salvador were on my top bunk before 6:00am. I’ve never been one to wake up early and spend time praying or reading the Bible because of laziness really. It was a good habit to get into. On the morning of June 11th, as I was reading I came across II Corinthians 4:16-18. Verse 18 says, “…for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” The significance of the verses hit me really hard. It also answered my previous questions about how I could truly help these people. The truth is I am not helping anybody if I am not influencing them eternally. If I only teach them English, play games, do arts and crafts, etc. and then leave, I have given them no hope for the future. Yes those things are great and meaningful and I don’t mean to lessen the value of quality time, love and affection, I just want to magnify the importance of sharing the hope of Jesus with them. It also showed me that I need to stop worrying, stressing and getting frustrated about things that are temporary. There were many times when I wanted to pull my hair out and scream over things that seem silly now. It was a constant reminder every time I came up against something. I was always telling myself, “Chill out, it is only temporary.” As Lauren, my fellow intern and roommate, and I were getting ready for the day and talking about Jesus, we came to find out that we had both read those same verses that morning. God really is so cool. The remainder of the trip (and even now) we were able to keep each other accountable by repeating this verse when we were getting frustrated or upset. “Is it eternal or temporary?” It’s a good question to ask yourself daily; I find that most of the time my ‘problems’ are temporary.

On June 27th, I was struggling with all of the injustices and brokenness that I saw around me, especially in CISNA. I wrote, “These children have nothing and are broken. They don’t have anyone to fight their battles or stick up for them. How does any child deserve such horrible things?” In the girl’s detention center, there was a girl who was very sick with many of the swine flu symptoms. The director was told countless times that this girl needed to be seen by a doctor at a hospital but no one would take her. They wouldn’t even place her in another room to prevent the sickness from spreading to the other girls. They promised to take the girl to the hospital the next day but when we arrived, she still had not gone. In the boy’s orphanage there is a huge problem with rape among the boys. There are some boys in the orphanage who rape and sexually abuse the others. It is horrendous and it makes me sick to my stomach to even think about. It isn’t really a secret; most people know about it but still nothing is done. The directors make excuses for the behavior or simply look the other way. This place is both their school and their home. It is supposed to be a place where they can feel safe. The expectations for these children are so low. How can you expect them to rise above when things like this are acceptable? I still struggle with this reality every day and it is something that is very heavy on my heart. I hate that this is happening and I am praying that God intervenes in a way only He can.

God is good and even though there are so many things I don’t understand He continues to show me that His ways are much bigger than my small understanding. On June 30th, just a few days after I vented about all the horrible things and cried out to God for help, I read Psalm 34:18 which says, “The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Wow! It was exactly what I needed to read and be reminded of. God hasn’t taken a break or forgotten about these people; it’s all in His hand whether I can see it or not. I don’t understand it and I certainly don’t like it but God doesn’t need my approval by any means.  
Who am I to think that I must understand everything in this world?

I was able to read a few books in my spare time while in El Salvador. One of the books I read was Touch by Pastor Rudy Rasmus. It’s a very real book written about the ministry of an inner city church in Houston. It really gave me some good insights to opening up and being vulnerable with people and loving those who have nothing to give back. It also talks about the importance of physical touch. He says, “When we touch someone, a connection occurs that is categorically different – and more powerful – than spoken communication.” I saw the application and truth to this quote during my six week stay; especially in the boy’s orphanage at CISNA. I can’t express to you how much I truly came to love these boys. They are crying out for love and attention. I could see how much they longed for a “motherly” type of affection. On July 11th, the day before I left for home, we were able to take the youngest group of boys to a water park. We picked them up in the morning and divided into our “buddy groups.” Each of the “gringos” had two of the boys for the day. I sat in between them on the way to the park and they each held my hands as we talked about different things. It was one of the best days of my trip. We were able to feed them a whole bunch of food including chicken, pupusas and pizza. On the way back Samuel fell asleep on my lap and it was a precious sight I will remember forever. His heart (and stomach) was full and he was absolutely exhausted! Bringing them back to the orphanage was one of the hardest things to do. I wanted to take each of them home with me. It was so hard to drop them back off in a place where they have no love, only fear; a place full of rape and abuse, no family and dark pasts and little hope for a bright future. I have only felt the sting of a broken heart a few times in my life and this was one. I felt my heart breaking for every one of those boys. On the way back to the house I was overcome with emotion. There were uncontrollable tears rolling down my cheeks. It wasn’t simply sadness that I felt. Most of my feelings were anger actually. I prayed and argued with God the whole way home. Why did God bring me to this country to meet these desperate people, only to leave them just like everyone else does? Why were these people in these horrible situations anyways? Why do I have it so easy? Why, Why, Why? I wish I could say that I have all the answers now, but I don’t. I do however know that our God is compassionate and that prayers can do more than any of us know. That’s what I have to cling to. James 5:16b says, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” All throughout the gospels it is repeated how Jesus felt compassion for all the people He encountered. As much as I love and care for those children, how much more must our Creator love them! Another book I read while in El Salvador, The Ragamuffin Gospel, states, “Human love will always be a faint shadow of God’s love. Not because it is too sugary or sentimental but simply because it can never compare from whence it comes. Human love with all its passion and emotion is a thin echo of the passion/emotion love of Yahweh.” It is so true!

Leaving El Salvador was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. After I said good bye to everyone and found myself sitting alone at my gate with nothing but my carry on and my thoughts, I began to cry, once again, uncontrollably. It's funny to think that before I had this experience I rarely cried and certainly not in front of anyone.  But there I sat, the only blonde girl at the gate literally sobbing as they called for my plane to board. I cried all the way to my seat and the first hour of the flight. Again, I felt my heart breaking. I cried for many reasons, both selfish and unselfish. I cried for the children I had met, for the entire country, for the people I knew I’d never see again, for the other interns and because I knew I would never be the same. That’s where I find myself at now; different. My thought process has changed as well as my concept of the world around me. I am blessed beyond imagination. I have a family who loves me, an opportunity to do virtually anything I want to and more stuff than I could ever need. I was exposed to a simpler way of life and, surprisingly, I really liked it. Life is so much bigger than the clothes I wear, the classes I’m taking, the problems I have, etc. In other words, life is so much bigger than ME!

It was really hard for me to readjust to life in America. The first week or so I really didn’t want to go anywhere or see anyone. I woke up every morning experiencing the meaning of “the silence is deafening.” I missed the crying babies and the kids coming to jump on my bed. I felt really guilty for all of the things I had at home. In time, I did adjust but to be honest I still have days where I just sit down and cry. In fact, just today I had a meltdown. As I was driving and thinking about the kids and all of the people in El Salvador my eyes just filled with tears and by the time I got back to my room I just laid in my bed and sobbed. I was wondering when I would finally “get over it” and be able to talk about it without wanting to cry and I think I’ve come to conclusion that I probably never will; and that is okay with me. It changed my life and touched my heart in ways I could never explain.


*I cannot thank you, as my supporters, enough for everything. I wish I could list all of you by name; individually thanking you for your support. I know that I had many people praying for me while I was gone and I know without a doubt that it helped. Trust me when I say that without your prayers I wouldn’t have made it through some days. I also can’t finish without saying a HUGE thank you to everyone who supported me financially. It was an answer to prayer and a big comfort to see all of my support come in so early on in my trip planning. It’s humbling to me that God has placed such caring and loving people in my life and I know that I have done nothing to deserve it. In fact, because of all of the generosity I will be able to make a return visit to the Promise House in the near future. I will be sure to keep you updated on dates and details but I am very excited to see the girls again and to bring some things they are in need of with me. Once again, none of this would be possible without you all! Finally, to all of you who read my blog, commented on it, sent me emails/facebook messages and sent letters and cards; THANK YOU! You have no idea what a short word of encouragement can do and I thank you for your selflessness in continuing to write even when you didn’t receive a response from me.

I hope this gives you a glimpse into my summer. I apologize for the length but I tried to summarize as much as possible without losing the main point. I ask for continued prayer as I see where God leads me for the future. I know that I am called to missions/service but I am not sure where. I know that mission work can take place right here in America and I am open to that option as well. Basically, I'm just going to wait and see where God takes me. :)Thanks again to all of you and please stay in touch!!

Matthew 9:12-13 (NLT)

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

I'm Home

This is a little late but I wanted to let you all know that I made it home safe and sound. It was a long day of travelling but I finally got home around 2am on Monday morning. I can't thank you all enough for your prayers and support throughout my trip. Please continue to pray for me as I re-adjust to life here. It was extremely hard to leave everyone behind and I think about them all the time. Also, please pray for KT and Teddy who are both still working in El Salvador (until August 8th).

Thanks again everyone!
God Bless,
Sam

Last few hours

Well I am sitting here in my room for my final few hours in El Salvador. I really cant believe that I am leaving today and that tonight I will be back in America.

Yesterday we went with Hannahs Hands to take some of the boys from CISNA to a waterpark. They had a great time. For some of them it was the best day of their life. When we dropped them off at the orphanage at the end of the day, I felt so sad. I said goodbye to all of them. Knowing that I will probably never see any of them again made it really difficult. When I got back on the van I had so many emotions and thoughts running through my head. I just started to cry. I truly felt helpless as I thought of all the hurting people here. Six weeks sounds like a long time but in the big picture, it really isnt enough time. I cried a lot last night, just thinking about all the people Ive met here. God has been good to me. He has revealed so much to me while Ive been here. Even as I type this I am overcome with emotion. I am so thankful for all of my supporters. I know that so many people have been praying for me and I know that without all of your prayers I wouldnt have made it. I am so blessed to have so many people that care about me. Please continue to pray for the people of El Salvador.

I love to make lists so Ill finish with some things Ill miss about El Salvador and a few things that I wont miss :)

Things I will miss: All of the wonderful people I have met, The other interns, Being constantly surrounded by babies, having Miguel and Glenda jump on my bed and ask me for cookies, pupusas, pan dulce, being told Im pretty all the time even though I havent looked good a single day here, good conversations, Talking to God at 430 in the morning, Walking to the tienda with the girls. (There is definitely more but Ill stop with that)

Things I wont miss: COCKROACHES!, all of the bugs in general, the pollution, cold showers, my stupid mattress.

Clearly there are a lot more things that I will miss. It really has been a good trip overall and even though it is hard to leave I know that God has a plan for these people and for me.

Thanks guys for everything and I will see most of you very soon!!

Life is Never Boring in El Salvador

These past few days have all run together and they have been a little crazy. Ill try to update you from where I left off.

On Sunday we went to church (in English) at a place called the Union Church. It was nice to be in an English speaking church. After church, Lorraine had us over again for lunch. She has been so hospitable to us and she is a good cook too! Sunday night we ordered pizza for the girls in the house. They LOVE to eat! I also made them a cake but it was the worst cake made in history. They dont have measuring cups and I put wayyy too much water in it. Oh well, they still ate it.

On Monday we went to CISNA. It was also Lydias 15th birthday. Due to a miscommunication (we have those a lot in this country) we didnt get picked up. We ended up sitting there until about 530 or so. For her birthday dinner, Lydia wanted to go to KFC so all of the interns went. It was actually my first KFC experience. I had to come all the way to El Salvador to try Kentucky Fried Chicken. haha.

It was raining when we left KFC and as we walked outside to meet our driver, KT slipped and fell really hard right on his head. Almost immediately he had the largest bump on his head that I have ever seen. Long story short, Lorraine got us connected with a doctor in a nice hospital and they ran tests on him and kept him there for 24 hours. Praise God that everything is fine, it could have been really bad. We all spent the day at the hospital with him yesterday and left around 9pm.

This morning I woke up with a fever. Not really sure why, probably just worn out. I took the day off and slept a lot this morning. I really hate feeling sick and I really hate that I couldnt go to CISNA today, especially since it is my last week. My fever just broke not too long ago so Im hoping and praying that tomorrow Ill be back to feeling 100 percent.
I cant believe Ill be home in just a few days. It will be so weird to be home knowing that other interns are still here. (KT and Teddy are here until August 8th). Ill finish this post with a few of Laurens pictures that she has posted since she has been home.


Pictures - 1. Cuca (cockroach) that was drowning in our toilet. Yes they are this big and we have at least 2 every day.
2. The volcano we hiked. The picture doesnt do it justice, it was horrible.
3. Me, Ester (center) and Jamlet(right) at the girls detention center. I have written about Ester before. Jamlet is pregnant with twins. I love these girls.
4. Interns before Lauren left. From L to R, Teddy, Lauren, KT, me and Chad. Wonderful people!

My Last Week!!

Matthew 9:12 & 13, 36 & 37
¨...It is not those who are healthy that need a physician but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, ¨I desire compassion and not sacrifice for I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.¨
¨Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to the disciples, ¨the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.¨¨

This morning as I was reading my Bible, these verses really stuck out to me. Our God is such a compassionate God (if you ever doubt it, read Matthew) and I know that the sin, suffering and pain in this world breaks His heart.

I get really frustrated sometimes because I see all of these horrible things down here such as rape, prostitution, abandoned children etc. and I feel so helpless. What can I really offer these people that truly will help them. I can give the homeless a meal but it won´t satisfy them eternally. I can hug the children and tell them I love them but when it is all said and done, I too will be leaving them. I can teach English, make bracelets, have Bible studies, give gifts and sing songs but when I leave here what have I done?

Today after church some of us were talking about whether we feel like we are truly making a difference here or not. I didn´t contribute a lot to the conversation because I was really thinking and taking into consideration what the others were saying. The truth is that unless we are sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with these people we are not making a lasting difference. These people NEED Jesus desperately. We can teach and preach and run around in circles for days but if the Good News isn´t being taught we are only temporarily helping these people. This life is truly just a vapor...one single moment in all of eternity. I may not be able to solve the many problems I see here but I can use the resources that God has given me to bring more people into His kingdom.

In fact, the whole world is in need of a Savior. That is something I have been thinking about a lot here. Missions is not something that only takes place outside of the United States. There are so many hurting, broken and lost people right in my neighborhood that are crying out for help. It is so easy to ignore those that we see every day though. I really want to be more pro active about sharing Jesus with people. I don´t know where God is calling me in the future. It could be in a different country or it could be in America. Either way He wants us to fulfill the Great Commission wherever He places us.

I just finished reading the Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning (good book) and I want to end this post with a quote from that book...¨Risking everything on Jesus: the Ragamuffin gospel says we can´t lose because we have nothing to lose.¨ Its a good thought...without Christ I am nothing and it is only by His grace that I am able to do ANYTHING!

This post was just a few of my thoughts typed out quickly so I apologize if it doesn´t flow or read well. Please pray for me this final week, pray for the kids, pray for the staff of Orphan Helpers and pray that the love and message of Jesus will be received with open hearts by those who hear it!

YPO Week

This week we were able to work with three YPO families, the Garretts (founders of Orphan Helpers from VA) were one of the families and there were two others with them. One family from Bermuda and one from England. It was fun to have a change of pace and do some different things this week since doing the same thing every day can get a little tiring. It was also great to be able to meet the founder of Orphan Helpers and to really gain some insight into his passion and vision. He is a great guy and his love for the kids shines through. It was inspiring and reassuring for me to see that. He loves these kids and wants to see them excel in life and exceed the low expectations set for them.

The week started on Sunday when we dropped Cramer off at the airport (sad!) and picked up the Garrett family. Sunday night Hermana Filo cooked lasagna for all of us at the promise house and three of the girls shared their testimonies. It is really hard for these girls to talk about the things that have happened to them in the past. I admire their strength so much. For all of my prayer supporters, if you could please keep Marta in your prayers that would be wonderful! Marta is one of the girls in the Promise House. She is 15 years old and has a 4 year old son (Miguel) as a result of being raped by a friend of her dad when she was 10 years old. She is a very strong and independent girl but she struggles, understandably so, with anger and feelings of guilt. It has taken her a while to be able to love her son since he reminds her so easily of horrible events in the past. She has such great potential to do great things. I can see her leadership abilities clearly in the way she interacts and leads the other girls in the house.

Monday and Tuesday were spent at CISNA doing sports in the morning with the boys and then hanging out with the girls in the detention center in the afternoon. There are a few new girls in the detention center, one of them is Ester´s sister. Tuesday night Hermana Filo cooked for us again and we were able to hear some of the testimonies of the boys from the Faith House.

On Wednesday (yesterday) the YPO group invited us to eat breakfast with them at the hotel. It was so nice, really good food and the families are just a lot of fun to be around. Very good and geniune people. It is kind of funny though because I feel like my lifestyle has changed so much that I almost feel out of place in nice settings or places where there is a lot of food. We all joke about how we feel like the orphans being taken out into public. There is some truth to it though, my mindset on a lot of things has definitely changed since I have been here. Anyways, after breakfast the group headed to CISNA and I went to the airport to drop Lauren off. It was so sad! She was such a blessing to me here and she is missed! We also picked up a new girl who is staying in the Promise House for 2 weeks. Her name is Lydia and she is 14 years old and from Mississippi. It is her first ¨mission trip¨experience so I´m sure it will be great for her.

Last night we had a little ¨sleepover¨at the Promise House. Marina, the 16 year old from England, spent the night with us and we had some junk food and hung out with the girls for a little while before bed.

Today we were back at CISNA in the morning and then left at lunch time. The family from England left to catch their flight and we showered and then went to the mall for a little while. It really is weird to see how different the classes of people here are. There is ¨rich El Salvador¨and ¨poor El Salvador¨ I know it is like that in America too but here the rich seem richer and the poor seem poorer. We drive by families living under bridges with nothing except the clothes on their back and then we walk into the mall where everyone is dressed nicely and shopping in Tommy Hilfiger or eating in a nice restaurant. It really blows my mind how a few miles can make such a difference. It is something that I daily think about and struggle with. The world truly is a broken place and it is very evident in this country.

Tonight we are going to have one last dinner with the Garretts. It was a huge blessing being able to meet them and they will definitely be missed. Tomorrow we are taking some of the boys to the zoo and then were going to check out the Mayan ruins. Saturday is the fourth of July but I am trying not to think about it because I´m a little sad to not be in the USA for Independence Day! :( So while you are enjoying your cookouts, fireworks and the beach...think of me, at least for a minute!

Love you guys...can´t believe I´ll be home in less than 2 weeks! My calendar is clear for anyone who wants to share an American meal haha (as long as it doesn´t include beans) :)

End of Week 4

This week was a fun week, we were able to spoil the girls in the house a little. On Monday they had a holiday from school so we went to CISNA in the morning and came home at about 2:30. We all walked to the pupuseria and had a few pupusas. The girls had fun getting out of the house and doing something different & of course they enjoyed the pupusas, almost as much as I did :)
On Wednesday we were able to take the girls to the movie theatre which was fun because most of them had never been to see a movie before. They were all excited.

On Thursday, at the detention center in CISNA they celebrated Family Day so many of the girls had family come to visit them. We helped decorate and watched the presentation they had prepared for them. Then we just hung out with the girls for the rest of the afternoon.

Another Christian organization that we have run into a few times down here is Hannah´s Hands. They are doing some medical work. One of the American ladies working with them lives here and invited all of the interns over for dinner tonight. She´s cooking an American meal for us so that is pretty exciting!

We don´t have a lot planned for this weekend. Interns are starting to leave now at different times so it is kind of sad. Laurel left on Thursday morning, Cramer leaves on Sunday and Lauren leaves on Wednesday. YPO is making a trip down here next week so we will probably be helping with them.

Overall it was a good week but I´m pretty tired right now so I think I´m going to try and get a nap in before dinner! Thanks for your prayers everyone!
love,
Sam

Dia Deportiva and Weekend

On Friday we had Dia Deportiva (sports day) at the boys orphanage at CISNA. We started at 8:30am and had relay races, basketball and soccer tournaments and a water balloon fight. We also had ice cream and prizes. All of the interns helped out with it but the guys did all of the planning and they did a great job with it! The kids really enjoyed it I think and it was fun to be able to spend some time doing something different. The boys in the orphanage are so sweet and a lot of fun. You can tell they really crave attention and a ¨motherly¨type of love.

Yesterday we were going to spend all day on the beach but since it was raining we had to change our plans. We spent a little time downtown San Salvador just driving and walking around. It was really eye opening to actually see the city and how the people live and act. We also went to a touristy market place to shop for a little while before coming back for a nap. For dinner we went to a restaurant called Tucson. Today we went to church with the girls in the house, right up the street. It was fun going with them, but I was holding baby Jefferson (the youngest baby in the promise house) during it and he peed all over me during the service so that wasn´t too fun haha...oh well.

I am exactly half way done now, 3 weeks from today I will be flying home. Kinda crazy how time flies...although part of me feels like I have been here forever. Back to a regular schedule tomorrow. Love you guys! And happy father´s day to all you dads!! (especially mine :) )

Quick Update

Hi! Everything is still going well. It´s the end of the week so I´m pretty tired but looking forward to a relaxing weekend. I have been spending more time at CISNA in the girls detention center and am now only going to CIPI on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. I´m really enjoying getting to know the girls at CISNA. One of the girls there is named Ana and she is so sweet. I really can´t believe that she would ever do anything wrong! I had a few really good talks with her this week. We talked about Jesus and she told me that she had accepted him as a her Savior previously while in the detention center. This morning she was able to go before the judge to see if she could go free or had to continue serving her sentence. I am really hoping that he allows her to return to her family even though I will miss her so much! At least I know that as sisters in Christ, we will see each other again someday!

Tomorrow we are all organizing and helping with sports day at the boys orphanage. It should be a lot of fun. We´ll play games and have some competition and ice cream!

Oh and just a fun fact...I killed my first cuca (cockroach) last night at 3 am when I got up to go to the bathroom. I was pretty proud of myself! haha.

Thanks all and please continue to pray!

Love,
Sam

Painting & Volcano Climb

We painted all day on Friday. The downstairs of the promise house is now sky blue. Doesn´t exactly match but it´s the color that the girls wanted and they really like it so that´s good. The girls that were home during the day helped us with the painting and they really enjoyed doing that. Miguel, one of the kids here, is 4 and was home from Kinder that day because his teacher was sick. (Lucky us haha) He thought it would be a good idea to dump a whole water bottle into our bucket of paint, so the paint was a little more watery than it should have been but it still worked out fine. For lunch we bought the girls pizza and soda and they were excited about that. For dinner we had pupusas again!

On Saturday we woke up and left around 815am. They wanted to take us to this volcano that is about two hours away. They said it would be fun. What we did was drive up a huge mountain and then took an ¨excursion¨at 11am. The excursion was a four hour hike/climb. No, not four miles, FOUR HOURS! We had to climb down a ton of stairs in the woods into this valley type thing and there you could see the volcano. When I saw it I thought to myself, there is absolutely no way we can climb that and survive. There is really no trail, just a bunch of rocks. But we climbed it anyway. It was probably the most tiring thing I have ever done. There were a few times when I just wanted to quit, but quitting isn´t really an option because you have to get down somehow. We finally made it to the top, where we ate our lunch and took a short break. Really short, like ten minutes. Oh and there are also no bathrooms on this little trail, that is a problem. haha. The way down wasn´t as difficult but it was ten times more scary. It was so slippery and rocks were falling everywhere. Seriously I have no idea who thought this was a fun thing to do. I had to have my hand held then entire way down. I´m pretty positive that I would have been seriously injured if I didn´t have help! After we made it down the volcano, we still had to climb up all those stairs. Most intense work out of my life BY FAR!

Even though it wasn´t my idea of fun, at all, and I would never ever do it again if I have a choice, I feel like it was a good experience and I learned a lot about myself and God while doing it. On the way, about half way, I was just getting real tired and frustrated. Cramer, one of the interns was by me at this point and he just told me that he felt like it was a perfect picture of the ¨narrow road¨that the Bible talks about. It isn´t always easy, in fact some parts seem impossible, but in the end the reward is great. That was my lesson on the way up. On the way down I learned that sometimes you can´t do things on your own and you need to rely on a strong leader, someone who you know will lead you down the right path and ¨hold your hand¨ when you are unsure or scared. It could also be a picture of Christ and how he paves the way for us and knows all of our weaknesses.

Needless to say, I´m pretty sore today but I did survive! I can´t wait to show you guys pictures of this volcano. Actually while I was climbing it I thought to myself ¨there are so many people from home who would never in a million years believe that I was doing something this intense right now.¨ haha. I mean, I never really thought I could or would do it. So all in all it was a good experience but it definitely doesn´t fall under the ¨fun¨category, not for me! Next week, I´m voting for the beach again!

Feeling good enough to eat pupusas!!

I found out what the cause of my sickness was, so here is the story. At CISNA they have a water cooler and I asked them a few times if the water was purified or not and they assured me that it was so obviously I took their word for it. I drank a TON of that water because I was really worried about being dehydrated and all that. Over the weekend I started to feel better (since I wasn´t at the center drinking that water) and then on Monday and Tuesday I felt sick again. Finally on Tuesday, I mentioned that my water tasted a little funny and two of the guy interns told me that they had seen them refill that water cooler in the faucet outside and carry it back to the center. So basically I had been drinking unpurified water this whole time and that is why my stomach was so angry with me.
It was good to know the cause so that I don´t have to be afraid to eat the food anymore. I still won´t eat the frijoles in the house though. Haha. Yesterday I felt a ton better so for dinner I ate pupusas, which are amazing! I am definitely going to miss those when I come home!
Tomorrow we are taking the day off from the centers and we are going to paint the living room in the house. It really needs it so I´m excited to do that for the girls. They are really happy about it.
Can´t believe I´ve almost been here for two weeks!

Ester

They set up internet in our house today but it is really slow and just randomly shuts down. Thought I´d give it a try anyways. Today I spent the morning at CISNA again. Their schedule has changed a bit so some of the girls we were working with have to go to class now so we´re left with three of the girls who can´t read in Spanish. Instead of trying to teach them English, we are starting with the basics and teaching them the alphabet and basic words and sounds in Spanish. Two of the girls are 12 and one is 17. They are the ¨provenciales¨which means they are awaiting their sentence from the judge. Today I spent a lot of time working with and talking to Ester, who is twelve. She told me that her mom came to visit her yesterday and that in a month and 15 days she goes before the judge to find out if she can go home or not. I asked her what she was in there for and she said that her and her friend were stealing things. It just breaks my heart to hear their stories. I know that what she did was wrong and there are consequences but it is so hard to look at a 12 year old girl as a criminal. I told her that I would pray for her and that the judge would allow her to go home to her mother. Please keep her in your prayers!

Thanks for responding to me! It means a lot to hear from home! And all of your prayers keep me going everyday...love you guys!

A Doctor´s visit & the Beach

Well so much for staying healthy! I got pretty sick on Friday morning...my stomach decided that it did not like this food. AT ALL! I ended up having to go to the clinic in San Salvador and seeing a doctor there. Even though I was sick and miserable, it was pretty cool to see the health care system here. For some reason, I was pushed right to the front of the line and saw a doctor almost immediately...probably because I´m blonde haha. I also had to speak Spanish to the doctor and everything, I was a little afraid I would accidently mess up my words and tell him to amputate my leg or something but it all went well! But yeah I got some medicine and I´m not 100% yet, but almost, keep praying though!
Even though I was sick, I was definitely not going to miss out on the trip to the beach!! So I went of course and ended up sleeping in a hammock for the majority of the time, but it was wonderful! So relaxing. The beach was so beautiful. All of the sand is black, I love it! Hopefully we get to go back before I leave!
Tomorrow I start week two in the centers! Thanks for all of your support and feedback, it means so much to me!
Oh and for a cucaracha (cockroach) update...there were two in our room today...can´t find either of them, just great! haha
LOVE YA!

Update!!

Hey all
Just thought I´d take a minute to go into a little more detail now that I have some time. Everything is going great. It took me a few days to adjust to the complete change of lifestyle. I, like most Americans, am completely spoiled and I´m realizing that more and more every day that I am here. I have so many things that I could do without and I never really realized that until now.
Here is my schedule that I have for the weekdays:
5:30ish - wake up, cold shower (which is actually QUITE refreshing since I wake up sweating!), get ready
7:20ish - get picked up by Hermano Jorge. Lauren, Laurel, Hermana Idalia, KT and Teddy (guy interns) all go to CISNA. Teddy does sports with the boys, KT teaches the boys English and myself and all the other girls go to the girls detention center and work with the girls who are awaiting their sentence. We do a Bible lesson and then teach English
11:30ish - Lunch
1:30ish - Laurel and I go to CIPI to work with some of the girl orphans. We usually do arts and crafts, a game or something like that. Yesterday we were able to work with the kids with special needs in the center which was amazing and incredibly sad at the same time.
4:45ish - arrive back at the Promise House.

Last night all the interns started to have intern devotions. We are going to do them every other night. It is so nice to actually have a BIble study IN ENGLISH!! And its also great to just relax and unwind with the rest of the group who can understand our joys and frustrations of the day. God brought a great group down here and I´m so thankful to have these people here with me. They´re great!

Please continue to pray for us as we are here. So far we´ve remained healthy so that is a huge praise! On Saturday we have the day off so we are going to La Playa!! (beach) It will be nice to relax and see the beautiful beach of El Salvador!

Im so thankful for all of the support and prayers I have from home. It helps more than you know! Love and miss you guys a ton and will gladly go to Starbucks with anyone when I return ahah Im having withdrawls :)

Oh and Happy Birthday MOM!! love you!

-Sam

Safe and Sound!

I made it safe and sound to El Salvador. (thanks so much for all of your prayers and thoughts!) Sunday I arrived at the airport and was picked up by Hermano Jorge (The driver) Laurel and Lauren (the other girl interns). We arrived at the Promise house which is where we are staying with the girls and their babies. It is so fun meeting all of them and I already love them all!! It is never quiet though!! We also wake up very early. About 5am or something. For dinner we had frijoles (beans) and tortillas. Guess í´ll have to get used to the frijoles because they pretty much make them for every meal. Yesterday we went to work with the girls in the detention center. It was a holiday for them because of the inauguration of the new president here. Today I started the actual schedule. We go to CISNA in the morning to work with the girls in the detention center and then to CIPI in the afternoon to work with some of the orphans. They love the crafts and are so much fun to talk to! The rest of the guy interns arrived yesterday so now all of the interns are here. Three girls and 4 guys. All of them are wonderful and I´m excited to work with all of them these next few weeks. Thanks again for all of your prayers! I miss you all so much!! I´ll try to write again soon, sorry this is short and choppy but I dont have a lot of time!!
love, Sam

Less Than A Week!!

I can't believe that I will be leaving for El Salvador in less than a week! I am so excited to get down there and meet everyone. For those of you who are praying for me, please pray that everything goes smoothly at the airport and on the airplane (I hate flying)! I met with Anna (my trip coordinator) today to go over final details and questions. I have a full bag of materials for all of my programming while down there. Everything from craft beads to soccer balls :) I can't wait to meet all of the kids in the two centers that I'll be working in. Keep in mind that I will have internet access while there so feel free to email/facebook me!

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."
-St. Augustine

Canada Mission Trip Summary

My summaries always end up being longer than I intend but here is the summary of the week in Canada
Ontario – May 10th-16th, 2009
Liberty Baptist Church College Ministry

Day One: May 10th, 2009
The day started out early! I had just driven back from school the night before and got in around 7:00pm. I had just enough time to say hello to the family, throw my college stuff in my room and pack a quick bag or two for Canada. We (15 of us) met at the church at 4:40am to load up the trailer that we had attached to our mini-bus. We left Hampton, VA at 5:00 am, beginning the LONG drive to Canada. We stopped at Niagara Falls (Canada side) for some sightseeing. God's creation is so breathtaking!

After dinner we loaded back into the 15 passenger shuttle bus and drove for about 2 more hours. We stayed at Dalton’s dad’s house in Listowel, Ontario. He has a beautiful house with a lot of land. After we settled in, met his dad and ate some ice cream, we all took a walk down to the water. By this time I think it was around 10:00pm and it was completely dark outside. I couldn’t see a thing. We stood under a tree to pray out loud for the week that God had in store for us. We thanked God for the opportunity He had put before us, we prayed for the people we would be meeting and we prayed that our hearts would be ready to be used by Him. It was very cloudy and we couldn’t see a single star or the moon. We all finished our prayer time by singing “I Can Only Imagine” and “God of Wonders” a cappella. When we had finished singing and praying we opened our eyes and it looked as if God had pulled away the clouds; the stars were so clear and the moon was full and bright. It was amazing and a beautiful picture of God’s awesome creation and His control over it. It truly was one of the most moving things I had ever seen. It was as if God was telling us that we were right where He wanted us to be. Our walk back to the house was clearly lit by the moon and the stars. It was a great way to start out the week.

Day Two: May 11th, 2009
We all woke up the next day excited for our first full day in Canada. I slept on an air mattress in the living room and somehow still managed to be the last person up. I woke up, in all of my morning beauty, to a room full of people eating breakfast and someone shaking me and calling my name out a hundred times. I guess I was pretty tired. I quickly showered, got dressed, blew a fuse (I didn’t use a hair dryer for the remainder of the trip) and ate breakfast. We all met up for our first day of morning devotions. The theme for the week was leadership and how to grow as a leader through difficulties and through victories. We looked at the life of David in I Samuel. On this first morning we read from I Samuel 16. Verse seven says, “For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.” How true is that? How often do we judge one another by their outward appearance? I know I do it so often without even thinking about it or realizing what I am doing. God doesn’t see things the way we see them. We can see a good looking, intelligent, confident guy and think he has it all together and look at the ragged, poor, quiet guy right next to him and, for some reason, assume that God can’t use him to touch another life. Another verse that came to my mind as we were reading in I Samuel was I Timothy 4:12. “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” It is so encouraging to me to know that God can use anyone at any age. Even as a young, college kid I can still be setting an example for those around me and influencing them just by how I live my life. It’s an encouragement and a challenge.

After our devotions we loaded up the bus again (we spent a lot of time in that bus) and headed for Toronto. I was told that Toronto is the most culturally diverse city in the world which is very evident as soon as you arrive. Just looking out the window of the bus I could see that there are all different races and religions represented. We met a guy we would be working with at the Salvation Army. We all settled into a conference room and he gave us an overview of what to expect for the day. He told us that his friend Abu, a Muslim who lived in the area had agreed to come and talk to us about Islam. We would be encountering many Muslims throughout the week so we wanted to be sure that we were informed before we tried to share Christ with them. He said that they were good friends and had many discussions and debates although neither was willing to change their beliefs. I thought it would be interesting because it seemed to me like Abu was a “missionary” to us, at least in his mind. I was also nervous. I have studied Islam a decent amount and wrote my final religion paper on the five pillars, but I had never been in a situation like this before. Abu gave us a presentation of the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam. At the end of the presentation we were allowed to ask some questions. Everyone was very respectful but you could feel how uncomfortable we were. We knew he was wrong but we didn’t want to “attack” him and create a bad name for Christians. It was very informative and eye opening to see where Muslims stand and what they think about Christians. For example, many Muslims think that Christians have three gods and that we “stole” this concept from the Hindu religion. He also told us that Muslims are most fearful of the Day of Judgment because they will not know for sure if they will be let into heaven (Paradise) until that day. This statement stuck out to me the most and it is something that I will always remember. There is no security in Islam. You can spend your whole life praying to Allah and fulfilling the five pillars but at the end of it all, you may or may not be allowed into Paradise. I can’t imagine being so unsure about my eternity. It made me sad to think about it. After the presentation and Q&A session, they told us he had a confession; “Abu’s” was not his real name and he is actually a Christ-follower, not a Muslim. We were all stunned as we realized we had just been duped. They said that they use this strategy because it is more effective than having a lecture on Islam (good strategy, I know I tune out as soon as a PowerPoint is turned on). It took me a while to get over the shock of the situation but it definitely was an effective way to teach us about Islam. It wasn’t boring at all and we all were engaged and paying attention. It was very interesting to see how we all reacted to who we thought was a real Muslim attacking our core Christian beliefs. It made me realize that I need to make sure I’m ready and that I know my Bible.

After we left the Salvation Army, we walked around the neighborhood praying for the people of the area and for the interactions we were going to have with them. We walked by the biggest elementary school in North America. I forget exactly how many students were there but it was a lot! It was right as school got out and we could see the diversity of the students. There are hardly any Caucasians in the whole school. In fact, the “white” people they refer to are Iraqis. While we walked around we also prayed for the ministry that they currently have in the area and that God would bless them and keep them safe. They have made so much progress and God is really moving in that neighborhood. His Word and His love are being spread to all of the people.

After the events of the morning we headed to Ajax, Ontario where we met John and Summer at a local Baptist church. John is the youth pastor at this church and a friend of Dalton’s from college. Summer is his wife. Dalton led the youth group lesson and we got to hang out and interact with the students. We also played an intense game of Cat & Mouse! It was fun spending time with the Canadian youth group, teaching them and learning from them. We finally headed for dinner at about 10:00pm and went to a restaurant called “Kelsey’s.” We got to try “Poutine” which is big in Canada. It is French fries covered in cheese and gravy. I had never even heard of it. It doesn’t really look tasty but it was pretty good, even though I’m not a big gravy fan..

Day Three: May 12th, 2009
I would consider this day to be the most eventful, informative, draining, and interesting. It was also my favorite day of the week. In morning devotions we read in I Samuel 17 about David & Goliath. I’ve heard the story so many times that I sometimes overlook how amazing it is! We really can do great and amazing things through the power of God. We had breakfast at Tim Horton’s (a popular Canadian “Panera” type place…but better & cheaper!)

After breakfast we met two men, Peter and Seneal at a Hindu Temple in Toronto. Peter lives in Toronto and has committed his life to reaching the people in his area for Christ. He is a great guy who has denied himself a “comfortable” life in order to meet these people where they’re at. Seneal is a converted Hindu from South Asia.

We were told that we were actually going to go into the Hindu temple and walk around praying silently for the people. It seemed a little weird at first, even to me, and some people in our group had some reservations about walking into a Hindu temple, being a Christian. They told us that although it was a temple that worships idols, no one can stop us from constantly worshipping and praying to Jesus Christ while we were there. The temple was so beautiful and ornate. One of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen! The details on the outside of the building were truly amazing. When we walked in we had to take our shoes off out of respect. The temple has heated marble floors, which are beautiful as well. Seneal led us around the temple explaining things to us and answering questions. We were able to go into the “worship center” of the temple and see all the gods and altars that they have set up. It is a big room with different “cut-outs” in the wall; each designated to a different god. There were boxes in front of each god that you could put donations into. We were very silent and respectful as we walked around praying, not to these manmade gods but to the One True and Holy God. I prayed for the people that were in there with us. They are in so much bondage. The feeling in the temple was eerie; I felt as though I could almost feel Satan’s presence and power over the people worshiping in the temple. In the middle of their temple we all sat and prayed silently for them.

The temple also had a museum attached to it so Seneal led us through the museum giving us a history of the Hindu religion. He is an ordained minister and he had his “priest” clothes on so many of the visitors to the temple actually jumped in on our little tour. One woman came up to Seneal assuming he was a Hindu priest and said it was her first time at the temple and she wanted to know how to pray. I could see the brokenness and longing for hope in this woman. He gave her his contact information and told her that if she called him he would tell her how to pray and worship. Wow! This woman was obviously searching for something in her life and God placed her in Seneal’s path. What an amazing God we serve. His timing is perfect. When she contacts him he can tell her how to worship Jesus Christ and not the gods of the Hindu religion.

After we left the temple we headed to a Sikh temple. I had never even heard of the Sikh religion but it was described to us as being a combination of Hindu and Muslim beliefs. Sikh’s place a high emphasis on cleanliness so when we arrived we removed our shoes and washed our hands. Seneal also washed my feet. It was the first time that I have ever had anyone wash my feet (pedicures don’t count). To me it is one of the most selfless and humble acts and a wonderful representation of Jesus. We also had to borrow scarves to wear as a head covering. It was really hard to keep a straight face seeing all of the Americans with these scarves on; we looked like pirates. The people at the Sikh temple were very kind and welcoming to us and even said we could eat there. They run a “soup kitchen” type service. The meals served there are open to the worshippers and are all free. When we walked into the cafeteria we had to wash our hands again and were each handed a metal tray and cup. We had to walk over to the mat on the floor and sit cross legged. They came by and filled up our trays with different dishes. Nothing they serve has meat in it. It definitely was not my favorite type of food but out of respect I ate it, well most of it anyway. The only thing I couldn’t eat was the “yogurt.” That is what they called it but it was the most horrible thing I’ve ever tasted. It is a combination of flour, curds, chick peas and some other things. Oh, and it was cold. I wouldn’t recommend it. Seneal loves that stuff though and had us all pour it into his cup. I turned to Zach, sitting next to me, and said, “If he drinks that, I’m going to vomit.” Well, he did drink it. I didn’t vomit, but it was disgusting.

The high priest of the temple led us into the worship area and a man described the basic tenants of their religion. In the temple they have a shrine built with their “guru” (a book) covered up and placed in the middle. In the history of the religion they had many gurus but the last guru said that after him there would be no more human gurus and the book would be the only guru. Smart thinking on his part; to preserve his position as the final human guru. The book has to be covered at all times unless it is being read. Before it can be opened and read the worshipper must take a feather duster type thing to wave over it to avoid even the slightest piece of dust from touching it. One of the saddest things I saw was a very old woman come in dressed in all white. She laid face down in front of the shrine, in such sincere worship. She walked over to read it and waved the feather duster over it for a few minutes before she would even open it. She seemed so humble and fearful at the same time. I felt so burdened for her. In just watching her I didn’t see any happiness or contentment, just fearful practice of the rituals of her religion. I am impressed by their dedication and respect of their beliefs and I really wish more Christians, including myself would show the same respect and love to the True God who loves us and sent His Son for us so that we can have a relationship with Him. These people are so lost and need Jesus but I don’t think it is wrong to say that we could learn a thing or two from their dedication.

After we left the Sikh center we went with Peter to a park to hear about the plan for the rest of the day. It was time to put all we had learned so far into practice and I was extremely nervous. Peter told us that we were going to the local mall and he challenged us to go meet the people and talk with them. If the opportunity presented itself to talk about Jesus we could do that and could even give them a Jesus DVD or other contact information. I was terrified and I really didn’t expect it to be very effective. I’m very apprehensive in talking to strangers about Jesus. I have seen so many bad examples of people “sharing Jesus” in this way and I have always had a negative feeling about it. I was afraid they would think that I was attacking them or that I’m one of those “freaks” that rides around on bikes knocking on doors.

I paired up with Mary-Elizabeth and we started walking around the mall. We were both apprehensive and I really didn’t plan on seeking anyone out. God definitely made a way for us though in spite of our fears. We met two Indian men who were of the Sikh religion. They were working for a bank trying to sell us a credit card or something like that. How strange that until that very day I had never even heard of the religion and now I was having a conversation with these two guys. God is so wonderful! These men were so kind to us. It definitely worked in our favor that we were females and American. It made conversing with people a lot easier because for the most part they initiated the conversation. We definitely stood out from the crowd. They bought us each a coffee and took a break to sit in the food court with us and just talk. We were able to talk about Jesus and share some of our beliefs with them. They were very skeptical and they weren’t extremely interested in it but I really didn’t see it as a setback. Our conversation was real. We just got to know them and listened to them talk about their lives and their families. Who knows who else they will come in contact with in the future!

I feel like this afternoon helped me to see that Jesus needs to be a part of my life all the time and when I meet new people they should be able to tell what I believe and where I stand. It’s not about converting anyone or beating them over the head with bible verses and theological terms. Too many times we turn our “witnessing” into “counting.” How many people got saved should never be the question asked. Numbers are not important and we all get too wrapped up in the data. It’s not our job to convert anyone; only the Holy Spirit can do that. We are only called to be faithful and to share what we know.

After we left the mall we ate dinner at Swiss Chalet, another Canadian restaurant and of course had more poutine. The girls of our group met up with Peter again to help with the English class he holds for some Indian women. We met in a laundry room in the basement of an apartment complex where most of these women live. It was a great experience but very difficult because of the language barrier. Unfortunately, I do not speak any Arabic. We each paired up with an Indian woman and went over question words (Who? What? Etc.) The woman I was paired with was so sweet and was so eager to learn. When we were going over the question words I was trying to give her hints to fill in the blanks. I kept repeating “w” and telling her that five of the words started with “w.” Finally, the light bulb went off and she scribbled down some words quickly. She looked at me with pride as she handed me the paper. In the blanks designated for “who” “what” “when” “where” and “why” I found two words written; “Wednesday” and “white.” I just smiled as I corrected her.

After the English class, Peter brought Alanna and me to his friend Seema’s house. Seema is a Hindu woman who Peter has been sharing with for a few months. She was very hospitable and nice to us. She made us coffee and pulled out old pictures of herself from her singing days in India. We had a spiritual discussion with her but she was unfaltering in what she believed. Peter said that she has already been making leaps and bounds towards Jesus, though, so we should continue to pray for her.

Day Four: May 13th, 2009
Today after waking up and having morning devotions we headed to Mississauga, Ontario. Mississauga isn’t too far from Toronto. We met a man named Sulliman at his house. Sulliman is a former Muslim and is now a Christ follower. We met his wife, son, grandsons and friend, Frank. We put together bags filled with tracts, the Jesus video and contact information/prayer request cards. They have been reaching out to their neighbors; holding Bible studies and offering to pray for them. This takes a tremendous amount of courage. Sulliman told us that for Muslims, if they encounter a Muslim who has converted to Christianity and they kill them, they get a guaranteed pass into heaven. After we finished stuffing the bags we ate lunch and then loaded up into different vehicles. They don’t knock on the doors or try to “convert” anyone they just put the bags on the doorknobs leaving the ball in their neighbors court. They have found this to be the most effective way to reach people. The Lord gave us beautiful weather that day which was wonderful since we were outside walking around for a few hours. We were able to converse with a few people who were outside in their yards. Two men that I had a conversation with were very impressed that we had come all the way from Virginia to share with the people in their area. They took the DVD from us and seemed very interested in it.

At about 4:30pm we headed back to downtown Toronto and went to the CN Tower. The CN Tower is the tallest building in the world! We took the elevator all the way up to the Sky Pod which is as high as you can go. This is probably the most I prayed all week since I am terrified of heights (ha ha). I almost cried on the way up the elevator! At one level there is a glass floor that you can stand on. I was fine staying on the “non-glass” floor, but of course I got dragged onto it and I even laid on it! It was pretty scary but a memorable experience. You can walk outside and see all of Toronto; it is such a cool city. For dinner we grabbed some hotdogs outside of Rogers Stadium. Definitely the best hot dog I’ve ever eaten. We went and saw the Yankees take on the Blue Jays. We only stayed until about the 6th inning but the Yankees ended up winning. After the game we headed to the “Time Square” area of Toronto. It really resembles the Time Square of New York City with the restaurants, stores, big screens and bright lights. I love New York City and I loved Toronto as well. I could have walked around this area for hours. I love cities!

At the end of the day I was writing down the events and reading my Bible and came across this verse which I thought was very relevant to this trip. It’s found in Matthew 9:12 and it says, “It is not those who are healthy that need a physician but those who are sick.” In the book that I’m reading (Touch) the author says, “Jesus didn’t see the sick, the lame, the blind and the demon possessed as a hindrance to His ministry. These people were His ministry.” I realized that the world is so much bigger that what I focus on the majority of the time. I get so caught up in minor details in my small vision of things. There are so many people out there who are dying without Jesus and it should break my heart; if only I could truly have the love for people that Christ had. Sure I love the people who are easy to love but what about those who are far from Christ, who are stubborn, and who challenge me in my faith and beliefs? They don’t deserve my love and attention any less even though I do not give them the respect they deserve. We are all God’s children and I have the privilege of sharing Jesus Christ with everyone I meet. It is time that I start to take advantage of that more!

Day Five: May 14th, 2009
Today was a much more relaxing day which was definitely needed after the busy days we had been having. We were able to sleep until 8:00am and then went to do some shopping at the Eaton Centre (a popular mall in Toronto). After we shopped a little we met Justin (an intern) at the Salvation Army. For lunch we went to an authentic Afghan restaurant. I was nervous about eating the food but it actually wasn’t too bad. It was kabobs and rice for the most part. I got the chicken kabob. The people at the restaurant were very kind to us and even gave us complimentary tea and Afghan baklava for dessert!

After lunch we went to help a lady named Zoe. She works at a mission in her city that offers a soup kitchen, clothes closet and other services to the local people. We went on a walk around the neighborhood so she could explain to us what she does and the types of people that she works with. We were split into different groups. Mary-Elizabeth, Alanna and I had to clean and organize the clothes closet, which was a disaster! Clothes were piled up everywhere and not organized at all. I’m pretty sure some of those clothes had been there since 1985 or so. We were only there for a few hours but we were able to separate and organize a good amount of the clothes. We had some laughs along the way too after finding a Spider-man costume, a nun outfit (I think it’s called a habit?) and a dress that would fit five people in it.

Today was the only day we had time for a nap before dinner. It was great! Since it was our last night we ate a nice dinner at a restaurant named Milestones, which was in walking distance of the hotel.

Day Six: May 15th, 2009
We had an early morning today. Had to wake up and be on the van by 7:15am, but Dalton had Tim Horton’s waiting for us. We headed to Ajax again to meet John Fitter at another church in the area. This church seats about a thousand people which is very large for a church in Canada. A few of the youth leaders in the area had put together an event for the youth called “The Tourney.” All of the schools had this day off (called a PA day). It was a big sports tournament with dodge ball and 3 on 3 basketball tournaments with other games on the side. The event started at 10am and went until 4pm. It was fun interacting with the different youth and talking about a variety of things. Canada is similar to America in some ways but there are a lot of differences. The youth that were there were great and I had such a good time just hanging out with them and playing some very intense games of Dutch Blitz (card game).

We had decided that instead of going back to the hotel and waking up early the next day to head home we would just leave straight from the Tourney and drive through the night. I don’t think we thought about the fact that we all had been running around and sweating all day but we all piled back into the van (gross!). It didn’t smell too great, even after opening the windows and spraying a lot of febreez. We left at about 4:30pm. At the border we stopped for our last Tim Horton’s and then got back in the car and got in line to cross the border. At the border, they made us park and Dalton (the only Canadian) had to go inside. We didn’t know how long it would take but it ended up being about 30 or 45 minutes.  Dalton said that when he was waiting he was seated right next to a Muslim family from Toronto and he was able to talk and pray with them. God is so good!

Dalton and my dad split the driving for the trip home. It was a LONG trip and extremely hard to sleep. Every time I started to doze off I’d either get a whiff of smelly feet or get suddenly really uncomfortable. Actually, I don’t think there was ever a time when I was comfortable. I probably only slept for a total of an hour or two so I was happy to be back in Virginia when we arrived at about 8am. Thank the Lord for safe travels and good weather though.

Summary:
What a great trip! These paragraphs don’t even begin to describe the happenings and feelings of the events. I really didn’t know how culturally diverse Toronto was. It was so interesting to meet and interact with people of different races and religions. It really challenged me in many different ways. I feel like sometimes I want to only reach the people who currently have no beliefs or are apathetic about religion. It’s hard to reach out to people that are already extremely fervent in their own religion. I even would think of them as the “enemy” sometimes. Gosh, I can be such a snob! It is so obvious to me now that “we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood.” Our battle isn’t against non-Christians or people of other religions; in fact, I see them as victims. Our war is against Satan and his darkness. I feel like this wasn’t only a mission trip but it was also very educational. I learned so much in such a short amount of time. I realized that missions and evangelism is not just something you do on a weeklong trip. It is a lifestyle; a lifestyle I want to have. I should be reaching everyone I meet regardless of who they are. The joy of the Lord should radiate through me. I am so thankful for the opportunity to go to Canada and meet so many wonderful people. God is so good and He is moving and working all over the world! Thank you so much to those of you who were praying for me. Please continue to pray for the people of Toronto!

28 Days & Counting!

I can't believe I will be leaving for El Salvador in less than a month! Now that all of the details are being worked out I thought I'd update you on some of them. While I'm there I'll be staying in the Promise House which is a halfway home for teenage mothers and their babies. The house currently has 10 girls living there. Each of the girls has a child of their own living with them as well. All of the stories are so heart wrenching; it is hard to even imagine some of the things these girls have been through and experienced. Most of their stories are similar in that they became pregnant as a result of sexual abuse, usually by a family member. I can't even imagine the hurt, anger and confusion that must cause. Please keep all of the girls and their children in your prayers. I can't wait to see how God is moving and working in their lives already and I'm so thankful that I will get to be a part of their lives for a short period of time.

Thank you!

I am so overwhelmed by the amount of support that I have received! So many have given above and beyond what I ever would have expected and many more have committed to pray for me as I am working in El Salvador. Thank you so much for all of your support! It means more than I could ever express in words!

Time is flying by and I can't believe it is already April! As I am finishing up my semester I am also planning and preparing for El Salvador. Everything is coming together and the details are being worked out. I praise God for that, but the nerves are starting to set in as May 31st quickly approaches. Most of it is just excitement, but if you are praying for me, please pray that I will trust in God completely; knowing that He is with me every step of the way; protecting and guiding me.

Thanks again for all of your support and prayer.
James 1:27 - "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to LOOK AFTER ORPHANS and widows in their distress and to keep oneslef from being polluted by the world."

Dates

Hi Everyone!
The dates for my trip will be May 31st-July 12th 2009. While I am in El Salvador I will try to keep you all as updated as possible. Thank you so much for your support and please continue to pray as the final preparations and plans are being made!
-Sam