Friday Night Update

It's been a little difficult to update because of the location of the computer.  It is downstairs and every time we get on the little kids start climbing all over us begging for us to play Justin Beiber.  Who knew his popularity would spread all the way to El Salvador haha.  If I hear ´baby, baby, baby, ohhhh´ one more time I might just lose my mind.  It´s great though, I really love these kids.  The other night we were all in our rooms about to get some sleep and we had left our door cracked a little to get some light while we read and wrote in our journals (the light in our room has been burnt out so we can´t see once the sun goes down) and Glenda, Miguel and Alondra would run in our room, give each of us kisses, run out and then come back in and do it again.  They must have done it at least 10 times.  It was the cutest thing and is one of the many reasons why I miss this place so much when I leave.

We've been going to CISNA in the mornings to spend time with the girls in the prison.  It has been a lot of fun working with them and learning from them.  We work with them during their art class and have been doing a short devotion and then an activity or craft of some kind.  On Wednesday and Thursday we went to CIPI to work with Idalia and some of the girls in the orphanage there.  Idalia leads a Bible study and then we do an activity with them.  Yesterday they taught us how to make cards by folding and rolling pieces of paper.  Today we didn't go to CIPI though because Jessica (one of the girls in the Promise House) invited us to a fiesta at her school.  She was on the court for La Reina de Las Flores (Queen of the Flowers).  We got there at about 1:30pm and they didn't announce the winner until 5:30 so it was a long day but it was fun to see their school and be there to support her and take pictures of her.  She ended up getting 2nd place but she looked beautiful and was very excited that we came. 

Last night I asked Hermano Jorge if he would take us to a pupuseria for dinner.  Danielle and Jo had never had them before and I really really wanted some!  He picked us up at about 5:30pm and we drove for about 30 min to a restaurant on top of a mountain.  It was a great view and the pupusas were great.  (And thanks to lactaid, I could enjoy them without getting sick haha).  We were also able to spend some time with Hermano Jorge.  He is honestly one of the best people I have ever met.  He loves the Lord and his family so much and is willing to sacrifice so much of himself to serve those around him.  He is also a great ´father figure´to the girls in the PH and it is so great to see him interacting with them.  I feel like he is my ¨El Salvadorian dad¨ He looks after us while we´re here which I know is a comfort to me and my parents!  After dinner, Jorge took us to an overlook of the city of San Salvador.  It was so beautiful and literally took my breath away.  It was dark so the whole city was lit up.  I took some pictures but they didn't do it justice...I´ll just have to keep the vision in my mind forever. 

We just finished dinner.  While the girls were getting dinner ready for us, we walked to the tienda down the street with Hermana Marina to get some drinks.  Since we've been here she has gone out of her way to make sure we're comfortable and happy.  I was able to have a good conversation with her on the way to the store and I´m so thankful for her and her kind and loving spirit as well as her love for missions.  I love meeting the people down here and I can honestly say that they are just as much of a blessing to me; even more so, than I could ever be to them. 

It has been raining a lot here still (because of the Tropical Storm).  It makes it A LOT cooler so I am not complaining.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow though so we are changing our plans a little...instead of going to the beach we´ll be going to the market and hopefully by next Saturday the weather will be nice enough for us to go to the beach. 

To finish this post, I just want to share a little about what God has been teaching me and showing me while I've been here the past few days.  I have been reading through I Kings and I John as well as the daily Psalm a day that I like to read.  I read Psalm 1 on the day that we got here and was reminded how important it is to meditate on the Lord both day and night.  I Kings is such an interesting story to read and I just read of Solomon´s request for wisdom from the Lord and I wondered what I would have asked for if I were in his position.  I John emphasizes the importance of LOVE and it has been both encouraging and challenging.  Since it is such a short book, I have read through it a few times over the past couple of days.  If I truly want to live a life that is pleasing to Christ, I MUST show love to those around me, even those who are difficult to love.  I have been challenged in that way because it is easy to become frustrated and annoyed especially when my selfish desires get in the way.  However, if I say that I am a Christian I need to mirror Christ in all of my actions and thoughts. 

Sorry for the length of this post but I don´t know when I´ll find some time to blog again without being interrupted.  For those of you praying...please pray for the health of the girls in the house, we have had a recent outbreak of chicken pox.  Baby Nicole has them pretty bad and I just feel so bad looking at her covered face as she screams out of discomfort.  All three of us ´gringas´ have already had chicken pox; it´s rare to get them twice, right?  Let´s hope so!!