York Alliance - El Salvador - July/August 2018

Today we start gearing up for the children's camp. Colin and I walk down to Mister Donut, order breakfast and use the wifi to upload the blog for yesterday. I feel so adventurous going out in the city and using my limited Spanish skills to order breakfast.  We stop at Super Selectos (grocery store) and grab a few groceries. We get some oranges since they're out of bananas. We grab some more mint gum while were there. There are a few team members with queasy stomachs and achy guts. Chewing mint gum seems to offer some relief and we're going through the packs we brought pretty quickly. After paying, we grab my backpack left with the guard at the front of the store (no backpacks are allowed in the grocery store).  It's an gentle uphill trek back to the apartment. We pass dog's chilling on the sidewalks or sorting through the trash, parents walking to the hospital carrying children, and many little shops and venders selling everything from fresh plantains and ...

Worship Service – The Church of Faith and Worship The Sunday service is similar to what we experience back home. The morning opens with greeting each other. The Salvadorans are very friendly and I receive and give many smiles and greetings. I feel so proud of my limited knowledge of Spanish greetings. They lead off with singing. I recognize a tune or two, but do not know enough Spanish to sing along. As I listen, an image enters my head. Perhaps even a vision.  I see God wrapping his arms around the church building, looking at me and saying, “These are my people.” I feel and sense his love and affection for this church. These are no longer strangers. These are fellow brothers and sisters. These are God's loved ones. Something beautiful has just happened for me. In a foreign country, I am no longer among foreigners. El Boqueron – A Volcano We ride the pickup truck up to El Boqueron, a volcano north of the city.  On top of the mountain, we tak...

Puerta Del Diablo (Devil's Door) Today we go to Puerta Del Diablo (Devil's Door), a group of three rock formations once used ages ago for Mayan sacrifice rituals. The rock formations jut high up into the sky and we have to climb a ways in the truck to reach the entrance. We arrive and spend a few moments reading and talking about Matthew 11.  We focus on the last part, where Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-29). I'm not sure why this passage resonates with me. Perhaps it is the stress from entering a new country, struggling to understand some of the language, missing the comforts of home, or simply wondering what this trip will mean for the future.  Or perhaps it is the longing to be used by God, fully available to him, bu...

After leaving from York Alliance at 1 AM, we make it to BWI, check in and are through security with a half hour to spare. We hit the bathrooms and filled water bottles. Some of us tried to catch a little sleep before they call us to board. Then we are off. First time flyers thrill watching the clouds sink beneath our wings. We arrive in Miami with plenty of time to grab breakfast and chill for a little in the airport. Breakfasts consist of smoothies, eggs and steak, coffee, muffins, donuts, and chicken fingers with ketchup. Our plane is delayed for an hour and then we board and sit for another hour. The pilot comes on the intercom and lets us know that the hold-up is because his seat belt is broken. Eventually we take to the skies again, this time leaving the U.S. Behind us. A couple hours later, we are flying over El Salvador. I look out the window at the ground below. I don't know what to expect, but mostly it looks like farm country back home. We land in...

Sunday morning (7-22-18) was the final morning with our church body before our team leaves for El Salvador. Due to illness I haven't been able to make as many Sunday celebration meetings as I would like, but walking through the front doors was like coming home. "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere" (Psalm 84:10, NIV, Biblegateway.com).  Walking into the building where the Body of Christ meets and unites in worship and celebration of our Savior is a wondrous thing. The El Salvador team is going to unite with the Body of Christ in El Salvador. In a way we will be continuing to build the bridge between our two congregations, especially with the young people, for the next two weeks.  I can't begin to tell you what it means to be able to rest in the prayers of York Alliance as we go. Many of you came up to me before and after the service and reaffirmed that you would be praying for us. It's a humbling experience, and immensely r...