Details

First of all, let me apologize for not sharing information with you all sooner.  Many of you have been asking me and I have been unable to give you any details (mostly because I didn't have any).  The planning process has been a bit of a challenge; mostly because I've been trying to juggle school, work and life in addition to working towards the final plans of this trip.  Although I like to think that I'm good at multi-tasking and staying level headed in stressful and overwhelming situations, that is not always the case.  I'm a "passionate" person (which is a nice way of saying that I tend to freak out).  That being said, I really need to thank my parents for helping me out and talking me through things.  Also, a big thanks to Robert (our trip coordinator) and others at Orphan Helpers who have put in extra hours and effort to nail down these details.  And obviously, God has never failed me and continues to teach me lessons daily.  My faith has been tested and I'm realizing that there is a huge difference between saying you have faith and living like you have faith.

So here's what we have so far...
We're leaving out of Norfolk on June 1 and flying to El Salvador (with a lay-over in Atlanta).  We'll arrive in San Salvador around noon.  The airport in San Salvador is fairly easy to navigate so once we get through and get our bags, we'll be met by our driver and taken to where we'll be staying.  I wanted to stay in the Promise House again but unfortunately that isn't going to be a possibility.  Last summer there were 9 girls and their 9 children living there but they now have about 12 girls and babies, so there really isn't any room for additional bodies.  At this point, we're planning on staying with a family (the Ackermanns) who are missionaries in San Salvador and have a mission house.  The good news is, it's only about 3 blocks from the PH.  We will be in the country until June 14th.  Our daily activities are not set in stone yet but the plan is to spend the mornings in one of the government centers (CISNA or CIPI) and the afternoons with the girls and children in the Promise House.  More information about that will be coming once we have specifics.  I'll also post some info about the centers so you have a better idea/understanding of what I'm talking about.  If you're so curious and just can't wait you can try looking through some of my old blog posts from last summer :)

To all of you who have been asking, thank you so much for taking such an interest in our trip and for all of your thoughts and prayers.  Please continue to pray that the details get worked out and that things go as smoothly as possible.  I really am excited to see so many of the people that I have been missing since I left last summer and I wish that I could personal introduce each and every one of them to all of you.


"Faith is the art of holding onto things your reason has once accepted in spite of your changing moods."
-C.S Lewis