God is Beautiful

God is beautiful.

It has been about a week and a half since I last posted…maybe even two weeks! I am so sorry! It has been crazy here these past 2 weeks. As our time is coming to a close in San Salvador, we find ourselves trying to fit in as much as possible which has inhibited me to sit and write to you all. So forgive me…I know you all have just been sitting at your computers waiting for my next post!! ;)

I believe I left off telling you all about Rafa’s home and the adventure we all had at the retreat. The first thing I think when reflecting back on these past two weeks is HOW BEAUTIFUL OUR LORD IS! I see His beauty in all that He has created: the thunderstorms, the intricacy of a spider making his web, the power of the waves in the ocean, language, how communication can be met in the most difficult circumstances. I could go on forever…the Lord is the only one that knows true beauty and He is the only one that can truly display it. We are so blessed when He uses us to show His beauty…He definitely doesn’t have to but He does. And that goes with anything…the fact that the Lord uses us for anything is an amazing gift and opportunity for us to experience Him.

The Friday following our retreat, our team was able to walk up the steep but short hike to the top of Puerta Del Diablo (The Devil’s Door). If you ever come to San Salvador…you MUST go here! It is the most breathtaking view! Not only is it beautiful to look at but what an experience as well! There were a few times where the clouds engulfed us at the top and all you could see was whiteness…it was crazy!  Our pictures don’t do it justice!

The next day, we went to an orphanage for the day to play with the kids, hold babies, and paint a mural! We painted an underwater theme on the wall outside by their playground. It was a long day and I emotionally wasn’t prepared for what we encountered. There were soooo many children between the ages of 0-12. These are children who have been abused and mistreated. Once the children reach the age of 12, it is no longer the orphanage’s duty to take care of them. I think back to my worries as a 12-year old and I think my biggest worry was how I was going to get out of eating squash that night. To think I could be left on the streets and picked up by child laborers is a daunting and disgusting thought. The children are absolutely adorable and they all can’t wait to be held or played with. As you start to walk towards them, they come rushing at you as though they are going to pounce…and some of them actually did (on the boys). Something that still haunts me is what the little girls called to us as… “Mama.” Every single one I played with called me “Mama” and this was the same with every girl on our team. They know not one singular mother they can call “Mama.” To them any woman that gives them attention becomes the role of “Mama.” I understand they are orphans and have no mother but I guess I didn’t comprehend them not understanding motherhood and what that even looks like. I can only think, will they repeat their parent’s mistakes just because they don’t understand motherhood?

That following week, our team set back out to the campuses: Matias and Evangelica! We planned an outreach with Vida Estudiantil about Identity and what we find our Security in. We each made a t-shirt with “Soy” and then what our identity in Christ is. For example, my t-shirt said “Soy Amada” which means “I am Beloved.” Some other examples were “I am Redeemed,” “I am Worthy,” and “I am a New Creation.” Our t-shirts helped to instigate conversations with students and have them ask why we wore t-shirts that said those things. We had them fill out a survey with deep questions involving their identity and then they were able to fill out an index card with their thoughts about God to put on a poster board. It was so much fun and we met so many people! That Thursday, Matias had their first weekly meeting which was a welcome party for students to become acquainted with Vida Estudiantil! We had an epic dance party, fun games, some testimonies, and Esnacks! On Friday, Evangelica had a sports day to finish off our week of outreach with free pizza and some soccer matches! We had about 8 small soccer teams mixed with girls and boys and it was seriously soo much fun!! The teams were mixed well with gringos (Us) and Salvadorians which helped to make it more even matches.

This past Saturday, our last adventure day, we went to la playa de Punta Roca. Another fun and relaxing beach day! Supposedly, the waves at Punta Roca are among the best surf waves in the world…from the knowledge I have acquired about waves from my surfer friends and boyfriend, I think I could agree to that claim.

On Sunday, we went to another orphanage with mainly teenagers (many who had been prostitutes) and other teenage mothers with their infants. We weren’t allowed to talk to the mothers about their backgrounds so I am unsure why they weren’t able to be home with their families (they told us they didn’t like staying at the orphanage) but I trust they weren’t with their families for good reasons. The majority of the time spent by the girls on our team was holding the babies. There are no words to describe God’s creation in the beauty of babies…their tiny toes and fingers and the strength those little hands have when they grasp one of your fingers! It is too much too handle!!!

We began our last week here in El Salvador and I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone by! This will be my last post about my time here in the city of San Salvador but I will be sending out a post-project letter summing up all that God has done here soon after we get back!

I wanted to share one last thing: In The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, he says “[…] God is forever seeking to speak Himself out to His creation. The whole Bible supports the idea. God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by His nature continuously articulate. He fills the world with His speaking Voice.” I pray that each of you is consciously aware of how God speaks to you in your surroundings. God calls us to listen and be sensitive to what He speaks.  In the bad and good experiences of this world, He speaks to us. I desperately pray that you are obedient and LISTEN.

Thank you if you have been following me through this trip, I have enjoyed sharing it.

In Christ,
Meg

A Time for Rejuvination and Eye-Opening Experiences

Well, I can start off by saying I am a wimp compared to Salvadorians. These past three days have been an adventure I will never forget! Rafa’s family graciously opened up their home to all 34 of us for our 3 day retreat as Vida Estudiantil and Summer Project merged to become one. We were told that no other El Sal summer project team has gotten the opportunity to stay at a local Salvadorian home before---So yes we jumped at the opportunity! This week is a vacation week for the students so we use this time to refresh before the Lord and keep our focus on our mission. So the first part of the week…adventure time on Rafa’s farm!

Monday morning began with cramming our 17 person family and our things in the microbus to the Campus Crusade office to meet the VE crew! There we integrated our groups and our things into 3 microbuses and caravanned to Rafa’s house. Rafa’s home is in the town Chalatenango which is about an hour and a half from San Salvador.  It was a nice change of scenery to be in the countryside and to get some fresh air. We arrived around lunch time and had a quick meal before walking down to a nearby river. The river was moving pretty quick but the boys on the team decided to go in for a nice swim anyways. The countryside is even more humid and hot than the city so it was nice to be near the river where there was cool breeze. The rest of the day was spent playing games and getting to know the VE students better. We ended the day with some testimonies and worship.

Tuesday was the big day when we went to the Home for the Elderly!! Miles, a guy on our team, led a devotional that morning which helped to focus our minds on the Lord and then we set off! We walked to the elderly home which was only down the street and up a small hill. There were maybe 12 elderly men and women and they were all very frail and small. We took them all outside to the open area where we did worship, sang songs, and put on the “Lifehouse” drama skit that we performed at Evangelica. We had time to eat snacks and talk with them to the best of our abilities. I was able to talk to the cutest woman named Victoria (she is 95!) who I could barely understand but she kept smiling so big and kept saying “Dios” which means God so I knew she was talking about the Lord. Carlos, one of the VE students, came over and helped translate what Victoria was saying and he told Alissa and me that she was blessing us. This woman just warmed my heart so much! I also talked to another woman, Julia, who was just all smiles (no teeth) but she just exuded joyfulness! We also had a piñata for them…which at first I was very confused about since I didn’t see how they were going to hit the piñata. But man was I wrong…those women and men could hit a piñata!! It was a sight to behold! They were hilarious!! They used all their might to take it down! I have some great photos and video of all our experiences which I will put up on facebook at some point!

After our fun times at the Elderly Home, we went back to Rafa’s home and went to visit his cows, horses, and guava plantation! He had calves and a baby horse!! We had the opportunity to milk one of his cows, and I am happy to say I tried to the best of my abilities but I definitely did not get any milk out of that cow. Later that night we had a bonfire (fogata) where we did worship and a time of confession and sharing. It was a very good bonding time for both groups to be open and vulnerable with each other and to share whatever is on our heart and what we have been learning.  

Our last morning before we left, Joe led a devotional time for us all and we went through James 1:19-20—“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” This devotional very much speaks truth into what I think a lot of my team is learning while doing missionary work in a different culture. Being slow to speak and quick to hear is crucial in allowing for people to be heard and for them to feel known by others.  It is so easy to become frustrated under tense or tiring circumstances in another culture and it is good to be reminded of the patient and understanding nature that Jesus had and that we need to display as well.

The time at Rafa’s home was one I will never forget: sleeping on a tile floor, milking a cow, getting up at 6am, sweating all day and not showering, being in the most beautiful countryside, having bugs bite you all night, eating Salvadorian food, hanging with the cutest elderly Salvadorians, and creating even deeper bonds with the VE students…it was a priceless experience and I wouldn’t have changed one thing about it!!

The next couple of days we will be going to two different orphanages and I CANNOT wait!! I can’t wait to tell you all about those experiences!! I also wanted to share with you all something my leader, Joe, shared with our team that I think is motivating and inspiring:

A Meditation

God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another, I have my mission- I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next.

            I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for nothing, I shall do good. I shall do His work.

            Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am. I cannot be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity my serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me- still He knows what He is about.

--Cardinal Newman

Love you all!
Meg