Kristal Clear

Number One Fear

2012-01-20T18:57:00.000-06:00

Today in one of my middle school classes I gave them a survey to fill out. The majority answer for the thing you fear the most was dying. The answer to the one thing they expected from me as teacher was to teach them English and be a friend not just a teacher. These two things really impacted me and touched my heart. The Lord has given me so many opportunities to spread His love and I am taking that job seriously.

My Favorites

2012-01-14T16:33:00.002-06:00

My good friend and roommate is a wonderful photographer and these are some of my favorite engagement shots that she took.

Work=Ministry

2012-01-12T16:56:00.000-06:00

In my book work equals ministry. And in the book that matters it means the same. Colossians 3:23 says, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people." My parents used this verse to teach me good work ethic from a very young age. It is something that has stuck with me. In whatever I do I am working/serving the Lord. I am so blessed and thankful for the job that I have teaching English Literature to 7-11 graders and English Grammar to 7th graders. I was expecting to teach younger children but I know that the Lord has placed me in my position to reach out to the young people in this school. This morning, as a team, we took communion together and then the Spiritual Advisors prayed over each one of us. The lady who prayed over me gave me a word of exhortation. She said, "Todo viene de Dios; Le ha puesto muchas semillas en sus manos." Which means, "Everything comes from God; He has put many seeds in your hands." Even though I feel overwhelmed and out of my comfort zone I know God has called me to be where I am. After we were prayed over we consecrated the entire school to the Lord; The bathrooms, offices, every classroom, and every school desk. To see the teachers crying over the desks and rooms really touched my heart as I could see their love for the children. We all want God to use us; we want to see a change in the lives of the children and young people who attend this school

Check out the Pictures and Sign the Book

2012-01-11T11:16:00.001-06:00

So many of my friends and family won't be able to come to the wedding but you can check out our wedding website and sign our virtual guest book. Don't forget to go to the photo album and scroll to the bottom to see our recently added Engagement pictures. Continue to check because we are updating the site regularly about all things concerning the wedding.

Click on this link to visit our wedding website.

The Knot

Fiesta, Fiesta, and more Fiestas

2011-12-29T08:32:00.000-06:00

Last night I went to the Fiestas Patronales in Antiguo Cuscutlan here in San Salvador. The night started off by sitting in tons of traffic because the 28th is a big night for the fiesta. We then ate at a Mexican Restaurant called Andale where I ate the best tacos of my life. After that we walked two blocks to the downtown area which was the center of the fiesta. It was full of people; so much so, at times, I had flashbacks of walking through the crowds in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday. Not that the fiestas here could even compare to the mayhem in New Orleans. However, the fiestas could compete with Mardis Gras with the simple fact that it is probably more dangerous in the sense of fireworks being shot off directly into the crowd and stampedes of people trying to run away from the firework shooting bull.

Here you can see the crowds of people waiting to see the firework show and then the release of the bulls.

This is the same street shot and you see how quickly it cleared once the bull was out.

I don't know how many firework shooting bulls were released but it was crazy and so much fun.

A Salvadoran Christmas Treat: Mazapán

2011-12-24T11:46:00.000-06:00

Mazapán is a confection that is typical to the area of San Vicente in El Salvador. It starts with milk and sugar.

Then they add ground pumpkin seed and stir and stir until it becomes thick.

After that they spread it out to dry and then cut into little squares.

This lady is the owner of the candy shop and she was rolling the Mazapán in the cinnamon and placing the raison on top. She explained to us how it was made and said we could go in the back to see it being done.

This is the little store front that sold all kinds of yummy Salvadoran treats.

This is what the finished product looks like. It is kind of like eating spiced dough. It is really good and in years to come might be more common to me during Christmas time than chocolate chip cookies. You can get the recipe here: http://www.elsalvador.travel/dulce-de-mazapan/

Preview

2011-12-22T16:40:00.000-06:00

These engagement pictures were taken by the amazing Karen Nichols. These haven't been worked on but I wanted to put up a few as a preview.

Engagement Shots

2011-12-21T16:21:00.000-06:00

Today was the big day; engagement photo day. We went to three different places. The first place was Calle del Carmen in Santa Tecla which has a very traditional street look with many cafes and restaurants with bright colors. It is a very picturesque street. We then went to a botanical garden that had a waterfall and a huge bamboo forest. Last, but not least, was our graffiti wall. For us this spot was the most meaningful.

Ruben's friend making our personalized graffiti.

One of Ruben's friend painted this wall for us. The area was a little shady, we had to move a cardboard home and ask a drunk guy to please move for a little bit so we could take pictures. He didn't seem to mind as he was yelling obscene things about me as we took pictures. Before we took the pictures Ruben and his friends all agreed it would be better for us to find a cop to stand by Karen, the photographer, so she could take the pictures and not worry about what was going on around her. So we waited and waited and didn't see one cop. Ruben took off and about 20 minutes later comes walking down the road with about 8 cops, they were a unit and couldn't be separated. As they took their post Karen started taking pictures of us and then the PNC pulled up which is the National Police. They get out and stand around with their huge assault rifles. It was quite funny and I kind of felt like I was famous. Before we left one of Police said you should take a picture with my gun. So he gave us the gun and we took this picture.

Festival of the Open Doors

2011-12-19T09:05:00.000-06:00

Festival de las Puertas Abiertas in Santa Tecla is an open door festival. It is a way to attract tourism to this area of San Salvador. The strip has tons of really neat cafes and restaurants, which are all open, and the streets filled with vendors all from the same area.

This is the Catholic church in Santa Tecla which looks more like a castle. This picture reminds of the movie Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo Dicrapio.

We watched a traditional display of the running of the bulls, even though it appears to be a cow. Two old men played music, one on a flute and the other a drum, and they lit the "bulls" and a guy held it over his heard and ran like a bull through the crowd. It was kind of scary but very cool.

On every corner there were different types of music. This group was playing Samba.

Ponche is a traditional drink that you can get with our without alcohol. They make it in these big, cast iron pots. I half way expected to see Jambalaya cooking when I first saw it. The drink is really good. The best way I can describe it was kind of like a hot egg nog.

This band was a very traditional group. There music is very cool with Indian influence.

Best Park in Central America

2011-12-15T15:17:00.000-06:00

When I left El Salvador in August the government must have been working on the construction of the Parque Bicentenario ( Bicentennial Park) because it was opened in November for El Salvador's bicentennial. Just recently when I drove past the park I immediately wanted to go explore. For the first time, last week, Ruben and I decided to hit the trails running. It is a big park with 129 manzanas and there are 1.73 acres in one manzana. There are various trails to choose from and we just recently ran the perimeter of the park which was about 3 miles. For me this park brings trail running to a whole new level. There are lots of hills, butterflies, beautiful flowers, and coffee plants. There is also a little community that works the coffee farms so as your are running in the middle of San Salvador you can easily imagine you are running through the mountains in Tacuba. This past run included the people from the community harvesting the coffee which is something I had never actually seen. The park is not yet finished but when completed its claim to being the best park in Central America will have won my vote. To read more about this park check out http://www.whatsupelsalvador.com/2011/11/parque-bicentenario-beauty-fitness-family-and-pride/.

Sacagawea in El Salvador

2011-12-11T17:52:00.001-06:00

Sacagawea has made her way to El Salvador. If I buy a coke and pay with a five dollar bill I can just about guarantee I will get four golden dollars back as my change. It is as if the US sent all the coins here due to their "popularity" in the States. Even though the golden dollar was first minted in 2000, eleven years later, it is the new craze here in El Salvador. Though it is not really by choice. It is quite annoying because now my purse is ten pounds heavier due to the beloved coin. Just a side note, as some may be wondering why we are using the American dollar in El Salvador, they switched currency from the colon to the dollar in 2001.

Reunion With My Kids

2011-12-10T17:39:00.001-06:00

Last night I went to the King's Castle International Training camp to see all my kids that I used to work with. Every year, except one, that I have lived in El Salvador I have been a part of the Guardian of the Vision Christmas camp. I really wanted to help out this week but I couldn't because all the teachers were required to be at work for meetings and planning for the next school year. However, I made it out there last night and it was so great to see everyone that I used to work with and, of course, all the children. The children's pastor called Ruben and myself up on stage and introduced us. All of my friends new we were engaged but many of the children did not so they were very surprised. It was a lot of fun but emotionally it felt very odd being there as a visitor instead of a leader. But I feel at complete peace in what I am doing now. That season of my life is over and I'm moving into a new and different place in my life and I'm so excited to see what God has in store for Ruben and I.

Game Training

2011-12-09T08:51:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, after work, I went with Ruben to the department of Metapán. It is about a two hour drive going towards Guatemala. I had never worked in Metapán before; I had only driven through. We were in the actual city and we went to meet with some youth group leaders to help them in the planning of the recreation activities for the youth camp they are having this weekend. It was a lot of fun getting to know them and teaching them games by playing games. One may not think that leading games is a difficult task but when working with children and youth it is very important to know what you are doing. It isn't just explaining the games but being energetic so the young people stay interested.

Teaching English Abroad

2011-12-07T06:58:00.001-06:00

These past four and a half years of working as a missionary has been mixed with a lot of English teaching in which I discovered that I really enjoy. I have always liked teaching and while I was at home, recently, I took a TEFL course to receive my certification to teach English as a foreign language. I have now been hired to work at a Latin America Child Care School in El Salvador. The typical school year, in El Salvador, is mid January through mid November. Right now there are summer classes but I'm not teaching yet. However, the teachers are working from 8-noon everyday until the 15. So I have started on lessing plans and reviewing the class material. I was asked to sub yesterday for a high school conversation class which was fun and I was able to get to know some of my future students. I am going to be teaching English Literature to grades 7-11.

Wedding Venue

2011-12-06T20:18:00.001-06:00

Ruben did a great job of finding a place for our wedding. Because I was in the States he, with two of his friends, went looking for the perfect place to have our wedding. We both decided that Hotel Bahia Dorado would be the location of the wedding. Yesterday, we went to the Hotel so I could see it in person. It is exactly what I had imagined and I know that it is going to be beautiful.

Hand Delivered Invitations

2011-12-02T21:07:00.001-06:00

It is customary in El Salvador to hand deliver wedding invitations. One reason is most people don't have mailboxes. The other reason, I think, is simply to visit and personally invite those whom you want to share your wedding day with. Ruben had already started giving out some of the invitations but we visited a few different people and gave them their invitations. It was different but much more personal. However, it does take a lot longer to get the invitations out. So we will probably be working on this for the entire month.

Rural Social Development Project

2011-12-01T17:49:00.001-06:00

My fiance, Ruben, has been working with a NGO called FUNDESYRAM. It was founded and its offices are based in Tacuba. He has been working with older women on Wednesdays and teenagers on Thursdays. Ruben asked me if I would like to come along and help him today. I had worked in that area this past summer and I thought it would be a neat experience. The majority of these teenagers have dropped out of school so they can work and help support their families. Most of them cut coffee at $1.25 a sack. The hours being 4 am to 4 pm. In that specific area of the country they said this year has been one of the best coffee harvest that they have had in a really long time. FUNDESYRAM is a non profit organization established to contribute to the development in rural and urban life. With agricultural, social, educational, and restoration projects with a focus on gender. Ruben was teaching a workshop on working together in a team, power of communication, and how you view and identify yourself. I helped lead some games and then at the end the teenagers were split into groups and they had write a plan of action regarding their association with the foundation. So I helped one of the groups with the mission and vision statements, what they want to accomplish, and how they can accomplish those things together as a team. It was somewhat difficult because they don't know how to think for themselves. So it was a lot of questioning, suggesting, probing, and trying to help them come up with their own ideas. I had a really good time and it was nice to be able to work alongside Ruben.

Thanksgiving in Las Delicias

2011-11-30T18:06:00.001-06:00

Today I spent the day with my roommate who teaches English. We had two feasts: one at 11:00 and the other at 1:00 with over 50 children in each. We had 3 turkeys, a few pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. It was so much fun to be able to teach the kids about Thanksgiving.

We also played lots of games like the one above. The game starts off with placing a cookie on your forehead and with the movements of your face you have to move the cookie down into your mouth to win. It was a huge hit and everyone had so much fun.

I know all those kids are so thankful for their English teacher.

Not quite a Swampsgiving but Good Enough

2011-11-24T17:09:00.001-06:00

Unlike Swamp People we did not go out into the bayous and swamps of Louisiana and hunt our Thanksgiving food. Our Thanksgiving meal consisted of two chicken's. One stuffed with crawfish and the other with shrimp. Green beans from Grandma and Pawpaw's garden, Sweet potato casserole, deviled eggs, pickled okra, corn bread dressing, cranberry relish, and grilled venison.

I have not been home to celebrate Thanksgiving in 4 1/2 years. So this has been a great Thanksgiving with my family.

After eating we had a football throwing exhibition.

Kathy for the Heisman.

My Handmade Veil

2011-11-23T12:00:00.001-06:00

Since I was a little girl, I have always been obsessed with the birdcage veil. I'm just a lover of all things vintage. So when it came to choosing a veil there was no question that I would be wearing a birdcage veil. However, my dilemma was that everywhere that I had looked did not have this type of veil or a very small selection. I could not seem to find one that I really liked. I am so thankful that my mom is really talented and suggested we just make one. Essentially this means that she just make it. So we purchased the netting at Hobby Lobby and then my mom made the flower and added the jewels and feathers. I tried it on in my hair and it is beautiful! I love it so much. I'm thinking about doing a side twist or braid and the flower clip will sit on the side of my head and the veil fall over my face.

Stories From the Streets

2011-11-15T08:43:00.001-06:00

I don't know the personal stories of the children and adults from these pictures but I was looking back on my journal from my first year in El Salvador and found this poem I had written and I felt this pictures, I had taken, illustrate the point I wanted to make. "Stories From the Streets"

The child on the street

With matted hair

and dirty feet

Juggling oranges or limes

Begging for just a dime

Abuelita on the corner

No one to look after her

Staying at home but feels like a foreigner

Wearing the same clothes everyday

Looking for someone to take her cares away

Carlos de la calle

Begging for another drink

Wasting away on the inside

Doesn't care if he dies

As he stumbles down the street and cries

Twelve year old boy missing his mom and dad

Abandoned for the American dream

Angry at the world around

Ends up with a gun in hand

Proving loyalty to his new found friends

Wedding Bands

2011-11-11T14:46:00.001-06:00

I have always wanted the Song of Solomon wedding bands from James Avery. Of course I wanted to make sure my fiance liked them and he did. So today I went and picked them up. The ring information says that Song of Solomon is one of the most poetic books of the Old Testament. It is both a tribute to romantic love and a parable of God's love for the church and Israel. Abundance of harvest, modesty, grace and good works are all symbolized within the poetry. The Song of Solomon wedding bands paraphrase chapter 6, verse 3, with the Hebrew inscription, "My beloved is mine, and I am his." The man's wedding ring is slightly different and reads, "My beloved is mine, and I am hers." Both rings are strong symbols of the marriage covenant.

2 Weeks Free

2011-10-30T12:59:00.000-06:00

Friday night I had the privilege of going to a reunion service of sorts named "Freedom on the Other Side." It was a service to celebrate prisoners who have been released and are serving the Lord. One man in particular had just been released 2 weeks ago and hearing his testimony, listening to him sing to the Lord, and seeing the smile and joy of Jesus Christ on his face was such an encouragement. The thing about that was he wasn't just smiling because he was free on the outside; my dad said he was happy like that on the inside as well. He was joyful because he had experienced true freedom in Christ. Another ex prisoner said something that really impacted me. He said, "When you are out of God's will, you meet all the wrong people; when you are in God's will, you meet all the right people." He also said, "Thank God we don't look like what we have been through." You can clearly see the change and hand of God on these guys. I talked to one facilitator, which is also what my dad does, and he has been going in for the past 20 years and he said he never once felt intimated but always privileged to do what he does. And like the cry of all volunteers for the Lord he said, "We need more workers." Reminds me of the scripture verse that says the harvest is ready but the workers are few.

Most Violent Country in the World

2011-10-27T14:25:00.000-06:00

I was shocked to read that El Salvador, where I have lived the past four years and will be living, is the most violent country in the world. I knew El Salvador was violent; it is something you get used to, unfortunately. You get used to hearing of the murders; it becomes normal. Which should never happen. It saddens me to hear that El Salvador, the country the size of Massachusetts is above Iraq, a country in war, as being the most violent. I never feel in danger or scared but the stats are terrifying. According to the Geneva Declaration Central America is the most dangerous region in the world. El Salvador has the highest rate of violent fatalities, with over 60 deaths recorded for every 100,000 inhabitants. (http://www.expatica.com/ch/news/swiss-news/central-america-the-world-s-most-violent-region-research_184867.html) Some may ask why would you want to live there? Aren't you scared? I can boldly say I want to live there because God placed El Salvador on my heart even as a little girl and I'm not going to let the violence scare me away. I plan on getting married, serving God, teaching children and doing all I can to shine the light of Jesus Christ on this violent stricken country.

The Knot

2011-10-23T06:44:00.000-06:00

For those who want to keep up with all the wedding stuff; you can do so here.

The Knot

El Salvador: State of Emergency

2011-10-16T07:03:00.001-06:00

El Salvador is in a state of emergency due to rain, high winds, flooding, and mudslides attributed to a tropical depression. There have been 13 confirmed deaths already. This disaster is not limited to high risk areas but now they are having mudslides and trees down within the capitol city of San Salvador. Please be praying for my friends who live all over the country. If you would like to see some photos you can do so here:
http://mediacenter.laprensagrafica.com/galerias/la-prensa-grafica/noticias/rio-grande-se-desborda-ocacionando-inundaciones-en-puerto-parada

Simple Prayer of a Child

2011-10-14T18:51:00.001-06:00

Wednesday night I was honored to be able to spend time with the Mpact girls and Royal Rangers at Bethel Temple Assembly of God. It has been somewhat of an adjustment since I have been back and not working in the church. The past four and half years I have been in full time ministry. These past two months have been a really long break for me. Pastor Dylan asked if I would like to give a presentation to the kids this Wednesday and I eagerly accepted. It was so great to be able to share my experiences and talk about what I did in El Salvador. The kids were so receptive and full of questions. It wasn't just me talking we also had a lot of fund playing games. After the service we all gathered together to pray for El Salvador. Right now El Salvador and all of Central America is having a lot of rain from a Tropical Depression. Many people have died already. There has been and is major flooding, rain, winds, and mudslides. In El Salvador, alone, they already have some 5,000 people in shelters and President Funes has declared a national disaster. So that is what the kids and I joined together to pray for. After we finished one of the little girls came over and asked if she could pray for me. So she put her hand on me and she prayed a prayer straight from her heart. Praying for El Salvador, the children, me and my work there. I almost started crying as I thought, "God knew that I needed this." I can tell you this I would rather a prayer from a child than an adult any day. She probably has already forgot about it but it is something that I will not forget and it blessed me beyond what she will ever know.

Creole and Proud

2011-09-25T10:24:00.001-06:00

Jackson Square, New Orleans

Cajun Music Day, Baton Rouge

Magnolia Mound, Baton Rouge

I love being from Louisiana. I love everything about our unique culture and not just because I am Cajun. Everything about Louisiana, the food, music, and heritage makes me proud to be who I am. Yesterday, my parents and I went to the Cajun Music Day at Magnolia Mound. Not only did we hear some great Cajun music but also were able to tour Magnolia Mound. Born and bred in Louisiana touring old plantation homes is something you start to do in kindergarden on field trips; even at a young age I always enjoyed the tours. Now that I am older I have found a keen interest in these old homes and really enjoy learning more about my history and the history of Louisiana. It is very interesting to me how the definitions of words evolve through the years. For example the word Creole originally was,

Louisiana Creole people traditionally are descended from Haitian, French and Spanish colonial settlers in Louisiana. Before the Civil War, the term was used generally for those people exclusively of French and Spanish descent whose families were settled in Louisiana before the Louisiana Purchase. Most Creoles lived in the greater New Orleans area, both city and suburbs. The term was first used during colonial times by the settlers to refer to those who were born in the colony, as opposed to those born in the Old World. Many locals insist that in Louisiana, the word Créole then applied only to people of European descent. However references to "Creoles of Color" and even "Creole Slaves" can be found in Colonial era publications. In New Orleans' French Quarter, the word Creole is everywhere and refers to the culture of Creoles.^[2] Later the term became commonly also applied to those individuals of mixed heritage born in Louisiana. Both groups have common European heritage and in most cases are related to each other and share cultural ties.

Today, various types of Creoles exist in Louisiana. The former French Creoles are descendants of Europeans of French / Spanish descent in the New Orleans area; the term "Creoles of color", in use in the Colonial era but widely popularized in the 19th-century, came to refer to mixed-race people of African and European ancestry (primarily French and Spanish, although later of additional ethnicities) who were native before the Louisiana Purchase. Some Creoles of color may also have Native American heritage. Both groups of Creoles (European ancestry and Creoles of color) may have additional heritages, such as German, Irish or Italian, related to later immigrants. Most modern Creoles have family ties to Louisiana, particularly New Orleans; they are mostly Catholic in religion and through the nineteenth century, most spoke French and have had a major impact on the state's culture. (Taken from Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Creole_people)

Which is what Louisiana school children learn in their Louisiana history class. However, I learned yesterday that the word has evolved in our day and time to any native born Louisianian is a Creole. So now I can proudly say I am a Cajun Creole.

Change

2011-09-22T14:18:00.001-06:00

Life has been very different back in the United States. Since being home I have been working at St. Andrew's Pre School. While working there I felt God speak to me one day that wherever in the world you are children always need to be loved. That simple truth has made my transition living in the US much smoother. On top of working I am also taking a course to be certified in Teaching English as a Second Language. I also was able to go wedding dress shopping with my mom and grandmaw and I found my dress at the first place we went to, in fact, it was the first dress I tried on. That made me really happy.

World Warriors Week 4- San Juan Pueblo, Honduras

2011-08-31T15:18:00.001-06:00

San Juan Pueblo, Honduras will be marked in my mind simply for the amount of high schools we worked in and the huge amount of teenagers whose lives were changed. God really worked and changed me personally and my attitude about working with teenagers. It's not that I don't like working with teenagers but I love working with kids. After this week my perspective changed as I saw God use the team to minister to the lives of thousands of teenagers. We also had the opportunity to work in a community of Garifuna's and I was able to try an amazing soup that only they make called Machuca. That day, at the beach, a couple of guys started talking to me and one of them admitted he was an alcoholic but he wanted to know what was it that kept me going...what was my reason for living. As I sat there and was able to share with these complete strangers all that God had done in my life I knew that it was a divine appointment. They needed to hear what I had to say, in fact, they told me they knew God placed me there to talk to them and what I said really encouraged them to change their lives. It doesn't matter where you are or what you do always be willing to share about what the Lord has done for you.

The Story

2011-08-10T07:19:00.006-06:00

Walking on the beach.
The surprise I had when we walked back.
I said, "yes."

For all the wondering and inquiring minds here is the story. Ruben and I met at the King's Castle International Training camp in Lake Coatepeque, in August, one year ago. I was working with the Guardians of the Vision and he was working a camp. After that initial meeting we realized we had many mutual friends in common and started talking and hanging out more; creating a friendship. I started to have feelings but I did not say anything because I knew the rules of being a Missionary Associate and I knew dating and having a boyfriend was out of the question so I didn't want to even dwell on the idea. So I started praying that God would take away all feelings if it was not His will and if it was His will he would confirm it. I spent a lot of time in prayer and fasting because I knew this was a serious situation. My feelings never went away; they just became stronger. We talked seriously about how we felt and I told him that I can't have a boyfriend nor can we date while I am working as a Missionary Associate that we have to maintain a friendship. At that point, however, I knew I needed to talk to my parents and my missionaries, Bro. Don and Sis. Terri Triplett. When I went home I talked to my parents because it was important that they were praying and in agreement. After I talked to my parents and returned back to El Salvador I immediately set up a meeting with Bro. Don and Sis. Terri Triplett because something Bro. Don had said a long time ago that at that if there are ever feelings for someone that they needed to be the first to know. They are the authority set over me and I wanted them to be in complete agreement, as well. At this point I was praying, "Lord, if this is not your will then if Bro. Don is not in agreement I will take that as if this relationship is not of you." When I talked to Bro. Don he said, "Well, you know the rules that you can't date but I trust that you won't cross the line. But if you think you are coming close to that line it would be best to go home now instead of finishing your term." I told him I understood and I want to do things correctly and in order and I want to finish my term in El Salvador. So that was another confirmation for me. So even though we never dated we have been friends for the past year and praying for one another and our future. Bro. Don and Sis. Terri said that after World Warriors I had permission to date Ruben and get to know him so these past two weeks have been a lot of fun as we are hanging out more and it has just been confirming more and more that he is the man for me. On August 1 he took me to a beautiful restaurant on the beach and "officially" asked me to be his girlfriend. He said, "In other circumstances I would have asked you a long time ago but because I respect God, the authority placed over you, and you this is the perfect time to ask. I don't want to skip this step because it is important." One week later on Monday, August 8, he took me to another beach called Costa del Sol. We got there in time to take a walk on the beach and watch the sunset. As we walked back he asked me if I had ever ate a real dinner on the beach...I said no, only in restaurants close to the beach. I realized as we walked back that there was a table set up on the beach, all by itself, and on the table was a vase full of my favorite flowers which are Birds of Paradise. As we got closer there was a walkway made in the sand with candles and rose petals leading up to the table. When we sat down he had already ordered food and we ate grilled shrimp, veggies, and salad. After that a traditional Salvadoran desert called Budin. After dessert we talked a little bit and then he said, "Kristal, I'm going to write you something but it is a secret." So on a paper napkin he wrote something and folded it up and put it in my hand but continued to hold my hand. He told me how waiting for me was worth the while and he loves me and knows that God sent me to him and he wants me to be his wife. Then he said I could read the paper. So I read the paper and it said, "Will you marry me?" As I was reading it he put the ring box in front of me and opened it up, he took it out and asked me if I will marry him and of course I said yes and he put the ring on my finger. I was so surprised and in shock. It was such a beautiful night and completely unexpected. After that some friends that had helped him pull it all off came out prayed over us and then we took some pictures. I had said from the beginning that I did not want an engagement ring because I'm not into flashy stuff and diamonds. However, he said he wanted to get a ring to symbolize our commitment. So he gave me a plain silver band that he had made and engraved Ruben and Kristal and the date August 8, 2011. Now we are praying and planning our future and our number one desire is to serve God completely and wholly.

Sidenote: Ruben came to know Christ through the work of a King's Castle Missionary Associate named Marie who started Caste Club. So the same exact children's ministry I was working with is how my future husband became a Christian.

Week 3 Puerto El Triunfo

2011-08-09T15:39:00.003-06:00

Week three was a memorable week for me because God did something in me that has marked me and pushed me into a new level of trust in faith in Him. This week we went to a specific high school of about 300 students and one of the guys was giving his testimony. While he was speaking God told me, "Tell you testimony, there is a specific person who needs to hear it." I was shaking because I have never given my testimony, in Spanish, especially in front of 300 teenagers. But I know what God told me to do. So I shared my testimony and in the faces of 300 teenagers staring at me there was a specific girl with whom I kept making eye contact. After the ministry drama and the invitation to accept Christ that exact girl came up to me and said, "What you went through I have gone through and I needed to hear how God changed your life because I want to change mine." So I was able to pray with her as she accepted Christ. Another guy said he has been hanging out with gang members and on the verge of entering a gang but decided to change his life and give it to God instead.

Last Sunday in El Salvador

2011-08-07T22:23:00.003-06:00

My last Sunday at church was quite difficult. I was called up on stage and the kids sang to me and prayed for me. It was something I will never forget and my life will never be the same again. I am so blessed that God chose me to work here during these past four years. I believe in what God told me when I came to El Salvador that this is just the beginning.

World Warriors Week 2- Ahuachapan

2011-08-05T10:45:00.004-06:00

Week 2 the World Warriors worked outside of the city of Ahuachapan ministering mostly to coffee farm workers and their children. One day we went to the San Antonio Coffee Farm and hiked about 45 minutes to get to a little community of workers. We split into groups and visited the people and prayed for them. This women, in the picture, used to be a christian but for others in the church hurting her she stopped attending. She allowed us to pray for her and then she took us to the next home to pray for a family member. We walked into a small adobe shack to find an elderly man laying on sheets on the dirt floor. He had fallen while working and should have died but he was left paralyzed. Praise God he was a believer and we crouched down and we laid hands on him and prayed for his healing. But the surprising and humbling thing was he started praying for us. Praying God would bless us and thanking God for sending us to him.

World Warrior Boot Camp

2011-08-04T10:00:00.003-06:00

I'm going back in time in my blogs since I have been with the World Warriors these past six weeks and not had the opportunity to blog. So lets go back to week 1- World Warrior boot camp. The 11 World Warriors arrived June 17 to El Salvador. The first week was, what we call, boot camp. At 6:00 am we woke up in the mornings to do exercises, personal and group devotions, all week long we trained and practiced songs, dramas, human videos, puppets, clowning, object lessons, sermons, ect. We also spent a lot of time in prayer and fasting in which the Lord spoke to one of the girls, Ashlyn, in a vision. She saw angles around the entire team and each angel was giving a team member a certain gift/anointing that they would need and use during the trip.

Ministry Team from Griffin, GA

2011-06-07T17:06:00.005-06:00

View of the lake directly across from the King's Castle International Camp.

Some of the children who live on the Coffee Plantation.

It is always a privilege to be able to work with supporting churches. Even more of a privilege to work with First Assembly of God in Griffin, GA. Even though I have never visited the church it holds a special place in my heart. On my birthday, in 2007, Pastor Randy Valimont was the speaker at the Louisiana District Council and he, by saying his church would support me monthly, encouraged about five other Pastors to do the same and I was in El Salvador the next week and I have been here ever since. We had a great time working around the lake area with the children of Coatepeque. It was a week that really stretched me with the help of a Master's Commission student and friend named Jeniffer. I have yet to preach in a church or minister in a street program. It is something that scares me to death. I get so worked up and nervous I can't do it. On Sunday morning in church she encouraged (made) me share, but I did it. Because of her push and me stepping out of my comfort zone I know that it is something that I can do in the future. In fact, I have started preparing some messages in Spanish so I will be ready when I go with the World Warrior's. Our last program was one of the most impacting to me. We went to a Coffee Plantation. Where the families work, sleep, and the kids study. When it is time to harvest the coffee all the kids go out and work. The wage is $1.00 for ever 25 lbs. of coffee beans harvested. The children seemed very open and we worked along side a Assembly of God Pastor that just started a church on the plantation about a year and a half a go. It was really neat to be able to help them and work alongside our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.

You can copy and paste this link if you would like to see more pictures from this week:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150322822099418.421804.714759417&l=483bdb45aa

Zoo Trip

2011-05-30T08:12:00.004-06:00

This past Saturday we took the Guardians of the Vision on a field trip to the zoo and a park. Because of working with teams I haven't been able to work with the kids as much and I definitely miss them. It was a blast being able to hang out, all day long, with these very special children. To bring them to a safe place in which they can just enjoy life and be kids. A few hours in which they were able to forget their problems and have fun. I love these kids and God has a special plan for each one of them.

Island Life

2011-05-20T14:50:00.003-06:00

After two years I was able to go back to the Salvadoran Island of Meanguera. From the lake at Coatepeque, where we left, it was about 4 hours in bus and 1 1/2 in boat. I love the boat ride; it is so amazing to be on the open sea and there are so many tiny uninhibited islands all over the place. We arrived on the Island and had a service right on the dock and it was amazing. It was so neat to be able to see all the kids and youth again. Many of them remembered my name and the names of the World Warrior's that came two years ago. Every program that we did we had over 100 people. It was so much fun and another great experience.

My Week Working With SAGU

2011-05-14T09:33:00.005-06:00

I love working in Mira Flores, Candelaria, and Guadelupe. I think the reason I like it so much is that this is where I mainly worked when I was an intern in 2005.
In 2005, there was not even a church building in Guadelupe and now they have a church and a feeding program.
We worked in two communities in between Vera Paz and Guadelupe which are new since the mudslides in 2009. It always a lot of fun working in an area for the first time.

This is the Volcano San Vicente or Chinchontepec in the native language of Nahuatl. You can still see the mudslide trail from 2009. It was amazing going to this area since I had not been out there since I helped in the relief efforts. There are still huge rocks in many places but it has been mostly cleared out and new bridges have been put in.

What The Kids Are Saying

2011-05-07T18:42:00.003-06:00

This morning with the Guardian's of the Vision, the 9-12 yr. old kids in our discipleship program, we had a very interesting devotion time. They had one boy and one girl sit on stage and as the leader was talking about different things that had happened in the world this week she would then turn to the kids to hear their opinion. #1 was the death of Bin Laden and they agreed that he had hurt many people but we are not at liberty to take the life of another person, no matter how evil He is. In fact, they were very shocked and sad, as I was, to see people in the United States cheering and celebrating his death. #2 the $33 million dollars spent on the Royal wedding. The general census on that was they were in complete disagreement because there are people suffering and starving all over the world and that money should have been donated to help others. #3 Pope John Paul II being made a Saint. Again they were in disagreement because he was made a Saint for the miracles that He did but they said we all have power in Jesus Christ to do miracles but God should receive all the glory. After that Sister Annie asked me to come up and share about how I felt about the current situation with Bin Laden and the current events in general. So I was able to share with them that even though it seems like things in the world are out of control but God still has our lives in His hands and He is in control. We had a time of prayer for lost souls and that God would give us compassion for all people who do not know Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

The Volcano Izalco Hike

2011-05-06T17:28:00.005-06:00

Along with the team from Southwestern University I hiked the volcano Izalco that sits at 6,398 feet above sea level. It's last eruption was in 1966. You start off from Cerro Verde and with a guide and a police officer begin the descent on a woodsy trail. After you have walked down somewhere between 1500 to 1700 stairs you are ready to start the trek up the volcano. From the top of the stairs I tracked the hike all the way until we reached the crater and it said it was 2.17 miles and it took us 57.19. I did not track it on the way back but I am positive it lasted longer because you have to go back up all those stairs which was definitely the most strenuous part. Once you are hiking the volcano it is very unstable, loose rocks and gravel which makes it difficult going up but you are able to kind of slide your way down. I was the second person to complete the hike and I did it at 3 hours exact, it was probably a little less because we hung out on the crater for a while but my pace was considerably faster than most. It was most definitely a challenge but well worth it. I would recommend quite a few things for this more than average strenuous hike. You can do it without but I would have loved to have some hiking spikes or even cleats. I was wearing my running shoes, which never hurt my feet, but weren't ideal for the slick terrain. However, I am very glad I did not wear my Keens, which are closed toed, but have openings because rocks would have continually entered in the shoe. You should bring sufficient water. I had my Nalgene bottle filled and by the time I completed the volcano hike it was empty and I still had to go up all those stairs which was really hard when you are dying for water. I should have brought at least two more bottles with me. I would highly recommend a walking stick; which significantly helped me. This is a difficult hike but worth it. The view is beautiful and seeing the smoke coming out of the earth was breathtaking.

Bridal Shower

2011-05-01T19:45:00.003-06:00

This is my good friend Crici, who is getting married in June. She has been on discipleship staff since I have been in El Salvador. She is a wonderful women of God and a great friend.
Thanks to the help of friends Jolie, Katie, and Paige we were able to make all kinds of deliciousness for the girls who came.
As always the gift opening part was a lot of fun.
One of the parts that we all enjoyed was the marital advice from Hermana Ani.
We ended the time praying for blessings over Crici and William and their future marriage together.

Tamanique Waterfalls

2011-04-27T11:06:00.004-06:00

I have been going to the beach at El Tunco for years now and know the locals and one of my friends told me about some beautiful waterfalls near the beach. I have always wanted to go but never have. In celebration of my birthday we decided to go to hike to them. One of the local surfers, Ronal, was our guide and we jumped on a bus for $0.50 and rode up into the mountains about 20 kilometers to the quaint little town called Tamanique. We then hiked a good 30 or 40 minutes down to the waterfalls. The cool thing about this hike was that 15 minutes into it you were already seeing small waterfalls, rapids, and crystal clear (no pun intended) pools. We had fun at one of the first waterfalls jumping off the rocks into the beautiful and cold pools of water. Finally, reaching the bottom was the biggest and most beautiful waterfall. As we were swimming toward it to touch the falls it was like swimming upstream or against a current and the wind coming off of it was unbelievable. It was so much fun and so beautiful. According to El Salvador Travel (http://www.elsalvador.travel/en/tamanique-2/) Tamanique means hill of the capture in the indigenous language of El Salvador Nahautl. Supposedly the old Tamanique town was known as "Cinacantán" where a major battle of natives and Spaniards took place. It is said that the town of Tamanique is older than the republic of El Salvador. The hike is somewhat strenuous but totally worth it. My only recommendation would be using hiking shoes or at the very least tennis shoes, a rope, water to drink, and granola bar.

Reaching Out With My Own Two Hands

2011-04-25T17:51:00.005-06:00

Today I went with the King's Castle Compassion team to two different communities called Los Heroes and Los Angeles 1. In LA1 the Master's Commission students, that I helped train in Castle Club this January, are starting discipleship classes with the children of this community.
This little boy is named Bryan and has a very hard life. His mom hates him because he is the son of a man that left her. Because Bryan reminds her of this man she treats him horribly and just kicked him out of the house. He hadn't ate since yesterday and was sleeping outside on the porch.
At the school in Los Heroes we were able to teach about personal hygiene, give out some veggies, and also pass out parasite medicine to the teachers for each student. If we give the medicine to the teachers we know that the children will receive the treatment.
This little girl is 14 years old and this is her newly born son. The last trip into this community he had a eye infection and one of our King's Castle nurses gave him some drops and he is doing much better. This time they gave her diapers.
This little baby also had an eye infection. We talked to the mom about properly cleaning the eyes and applying the drops. After that we prayed for them. It was a very special moment for all of us.

Last Year of my 20's

2011-04-25T07:16:00.003-06:00

Jolie, Paige, Karen, and I at the volcano restaurant for my birthday.
My delicious birthday meal.
This guy was sitting outside making awesome paintings with spray paint at only $5.00 a piece.

Yesterday was my birthday and started the last year of my 20's and I am determined for it to be my best year yet. Yesterday in Children's Church they called up my friend Crici, one of the kids Andi, and myself and one of the little girls sang happy birthday to us. I had a lot of fun with friends. I missed my family but they made a cake for me and ate it, too.

Tales from the Dentist Chair

2011-04-23T21:13:00.003-06:00

This little boy is named Eliú. He came through Triage with his older brother. Eliú is five years old and has major dental problems. When I was translating for the Dentist he wanted me to ask how often does he brush his teeth. He looked at me and said, "Well, I don't have a toothbrush so I can't brush my teeth." They had to do a few extractions but we they gave him a toy for being so brave and a toothbrush so he could start brushing his teeth.
Pam is a Missionary Associate here who works on the Compassion Team. She is cleaning the teeth of a 13 year old boy named, Hokie. Hokie is a like many of the children in this area who live their lives in survival mode.
Here I am with Dr. Mike translating for him as he does Triage.
These two little boys from the community are brothers, Saul and Luis. These are the two little boys who I blogged about last week that were hanging around while we were cleaning the clinic. My heart goes out to these kids and I hope that in the little time I was around them that God's love gripped their hearts. They hung around all week long and we tried to get them in the Dentist seat but we never were able to.

Little Scouts

2011-04-15T19:22:00.002-06:00

Sunday a Dental team from UCLA is coming to work in our King's Castle Dental Clinic in Nueva Esperanza. Nueva Esperanza is a small community that was started as a group of refugees from the earthquake in 2001. It is also the location of one of our sister churches. We will be working there all week long and I am one of the translators. Today some of the missionaries went to the site and we did a good cleaning of the clinic. As we were cleaning two, dirty, little boys came up to the window I was cleaning and started talking to me. First thing they say to me, "That's a really cool watch." Which tells me that they have eyes that pay attention to what people have. Later on, they were asking Bro. Don how much he pays the people working here (referring to us). He said I don't pay them anything they are missionaries with King's Castle. They hung around and helped clean the bathrooms and they did a really good job. They also helped us unload supplies but also saw all the supplies we had. These little boys, brothers ages 9 and 10, dirty, bare-footed, tattered clothing, are scouts for the gang members. They were trying to find out if we were being paid to tell the gang members and then they would come and "charge" us for being there to work. They live off of extortion. They are training these little boys, starved for attention, to be gang members; training them to become murderers. They are just like normal little boys asking me to play soccer with them and running up and giving me hugs. My heart just broke. They are little boys, not so innocent and, forced into a life they don't deserve only to be able to survive.

Never a Dull Moment

2011-04-14T15:07:00.002-06:00

Most people might say they had a bad day when being encountered with situations such as I experienced today. I like to call them adventures and laugh at them. Thursdays, when I have the time, I volunteer to teach English at a LACC school. Today another missionary associate and I went at 8:00 am and we waited for an hour for the English Director to get out of his meeting. In his office he asked If I could substitute for the high school students. This may seem like no big deal but I had prepared for 1st and 2nd graders and was put into 45 minute classes with high school students completely unprepared; just a tad bit terrifying. But I did it and it was actually a lot of fun. After teaching I had to run some errands. So we went to the mall because there was a certain store that I needed to go to. Well, I have a Mazda B3000 truck and parking garages and parking spots in El Salvador are made for mini coopers but being that that garage was packed I grabbed the first spot I could. As I was waiting for the car to pull out I started doubting my ability to pull into the space especially since there was a huge concrete pole on one side and a concrete wall on the other. I must have verbally made my concern known but Jolie agreed that I could make it. Well, I made it alright but got stuck completely touching the concrete poll and I couldn't out. So as I'm contemplating what to do an old man comes to the window and offers his services of directing me in which way to turn the tires, needless to say, I couldn't do it. Then he tells me, "This guy wants your spot and he can pull your car out." So as Jolie is in my truck, I get out, and allow a complete stranger to get in my truck and back it out like a pro; no problems. So I thank them for their help but we have another problem; I still need a parking space. So as I am driving around to find another space, that I can actually fit in, we pass the family of the guy that helped me back out and they are all waving us as we drive by. It was super embarrassing but really funny. After that I thought I should go home before I have more stories to add to my blog.

Specific Prayers

2011-04-08T07:44:00.006-06:00

Here in King's Castle ministry there are two seasons: Team Season and Not Team Season. Both are uniquely different and regardless of what season we are in there is always so much work to be done. As the years have gone by team season has started earlier and earlier. We now get a big boom of teams in March because of Spring Break. I was privileged to be able to work with Calvary Church from Naperville, Ill. this past week. I worked with them in 2008 and was really excited when I heard they were coming back and I was able to work with them again. Most of the team was different but there were a few familiar faces. Just as before, it was a great experience working with them. We did street ministry in different areas of the city but one of the days stuck out to me above the others. It was Monday, March 28, while we were working in Soyapango. In the first program, after we had finished praying and we started playing with the kids again, a young boy was trying to get our attention. I was talking to some of the team members and they told me that there was a boy who wanted to talk. I was the only one in the group, at the moment, that spoke Spanish so I went over to see what he wanted. I kneeled down in front of him and he said, "I want to accept Jesus." His hand was covering his mouth so I couldn't quite make out what he said so I asked him again and he repeated himself. So I made sure he understood who Jesus was and why we accept him in our hearts. I told him just because you accept Jesus and decide to live for him does not mean your life will be easier, it might actually get harder. But when we have Jesus living inside of us whatever we face He makes us stronger. I told him I know it is hard for a boy his age to live a life for Christ but God will help you. He then told me that he had been running with the gangs since he was nine and now he is twelve. So I prayed with him and he accepted Christ and I encouraged him to come to church because there are other kids, his age, trying to live for the Lord and it is important to surround yourself with positive friends. This whole situation was completely arranged by the Lord. Having a gang member kid waving me over and telling me he wanted to accept Christ doesn't hardly ever happen. When I got back on the bus I told the team what happened and one of the team leaders told us that in the morning he was specifically praying that young boys would be drawn out of the gang lifestyle. That just proves why our specific prayers are so important.

This week after the team left I started helping out another Missionary Associate teach English in Las Delicias. I had not been to Las Delicias in a really long time so it was good to go and see many of the children I have not seen in a while. I was also invited by a Pastor's wife to go to her children's school and help out with teaching English. Another Missionary Associate and I went yesterday and we were able to go into various grades and teach English. They are really wanting native speakers so the children can work on their pronunciation. They told us that we have an open door into the school and any time we want to bring a King's Castle team we can. So not only are we helping educate the children but God has opened up ministry opportunities as well.

Who Are You Passing By?

2011-03-23T18:08:00.002-06:00

I feel like a sham, a phony, a fake. I say I fight for justice; I claim to have compassion on the poor but who am I passing by everyday. I am passing by a 7 year old little boy who lived across the street, who would sit outside our gate and wave to me every time I drove past, who helped the gardner in our yard. I passed this little boy always thinking I should talk to his mom and see if I could bring him and his brother to church with me. But I never did. I would wave to him, I would talk to him, I've brought him and his brothers cookies, and gave him little toys but I could have done more. Today we found out that he died two days ago. His mom thought he had a cold and he continued to get worse. By the time she brought him to the hospital it was too late. He died from Pneumonia and malnutrition. He lived right across the street from me; there was more I could have done.

Parade of Prayer

2011-03-13T20:52:00.002-06:00

Our church is separated into different zones. We have had eight zones and are going into another area of the city which will be the ninth zone. Each zone has it's own Pastor, in which they have mid week services in those communities, but we all meet together on Sundays. We are having a three day campaign, on a big field, in the middle of this community. We have permission from the local government, the owners of the houses around the area, and the gang members. You may wonder why we need permission from the gang members but because they are very territorial it is important at these types of events to have the ok from all around. I love it because you know they are going to be there and there is nothing I would love more than for those guys and girls to hear the wonderful message of Jesus Christ and give their lives to Him. After church and the member's meeting we loaded up busses and trucks and drove to Quetzaltepeque and throug the town praying and giving out flyers until we reached the place of the campaign. We all got out of our vehicles and prayed for the people of that area with the new zone Pastor leading the prayer. It was a great time of community and we all believing for God to do mighty things next weekend.

America's Favorite Past Time

2011-02-24T16:45:00.004-06:00

My ticket
View from my dad's seat

One of the first things I did when I came home was go to a LSU baseball game with my dad. I haven't been to a game in four years because I have never been home during baseball season. I had seen the new Alex Box Stadium but it was my first game in it. I grew up going to games with my dad but going again, after four years of living in another country, I felt as if I was doing it all for the very first time. It was an emotional and very nostalgic evening for me. As all the kids ran out to stand with the players during the National Anthem, as I used to do, brought back fun memories. During the National Anthem, with my hand over my heart, singing it with everyone around me and seeing the American flag flying in the wind really engulfed me with a sense of patriotism like I have never felt before. I believe I actually teared up. Before the first pitch I had to get a foot long corn dog, fresh squeezed lemonade, and my favorite a big bag of cotton candy. I love baseball and being able to experience this game after four years was quite a memorable night for me. Of course sharing it with my dad, like I always have, was special. Mike the Tiger even came around and I was able to get a picture with him. To end it off LSU beat UNO 13-0. However, passing the parking lot that used to be the old Alex Box Stadium made me incredibly sad. I grew up in that stadium and now it is gone.

Pupusa Making Machine

2011-02-14T14:20:00.005-06:00

Pupusas are the national food of El Salvador. What is a pupusa you may ask? Well, a pupusa is made from a thick corn or rice tortilla and is filled with a variety of different things. The pupusas we made were filled with beans and cheese.

Flipping them, this usually done with the hands.

Marcela was my teacher.
You know we had to add some Tony´s.

Advice for Attending a Soccer Game in El Salvador

2011-02-10T11:56:00.002-06:00

Last night I went to see the El Salvador National Soccer team play against Haiti. Now I have been to other soccer games, here in El Salvador and in Costa Rica, but they were nothing compared to last night in Vietnam, as they call the section where we sat. I went with a group of people from church, mostly pastors, and we paid $3.00 a ticket to watch two games. The first game was the Sub 20 National teams of El Salvador and Mexico. So here is my advice if you are going to watch a game in El Salvador and sit in general admission.

1.) Wear an EL Salvador Selecta Shirt

You might think that wearing a shirt that is the same color as the team is good enough, it is not. We arrived early enough that, thankfully, we were only yelled at. However, as more people came the 500+ people in general admission would all stand up and start yelling all kinds of things and throwing everything under the son until the person is soaking wet and removes their shirt, whether you are a women or man. The guys would take the shirts off but the none of the girls did however they were drenched with beer and water as they tried to get a seat.

2.) Sit as close to the top as possible

The closer to the top the less chance of being hit with something or soaked in water or beer.

3.) Don't let hundreds of police dressed in riot gear give you a sense of security

You would think that having that many police would make you feel secure; wrong. We sat and watched a huge fight start and we jumped behind a police for protection and he said, "We aren't going to do anything until they start hitting one another." That did eventually happen and the police did arrest some people. I was shocked at how far the Police allowed things to get.

4.) Do every single cheer/dance/ect.

If you don't do the cheers, the wave, or all the other crazy things that they do you, in turn will be the bad guy and have stuff thrown at you.

5.) Don't sit in general admission if you look like you could be a supporter of the opposing team.

This one group of Salvadorans came in but a black guy was with them. He was hispanic but not from El Salvador. Of course because they were playing Haiti you can imagine the things they said to that poor guy. They yelled at him until he took his shirt off, soaked him down, and hit him as the police watched and did nothing. One of the men sitting near to us told me if I come to see USA play against El Salvador I should spend more money and buy a ticket on the other side for my safety. That is some good advice but I think it would be better to stay home and watch that one.

Besides all the craziness it was a cultural experience that I will never forget. Even though I felt my life was in danger, at times, I had a blast and El Salvador won 1-0.

I Woke Up!!!

2011-01-28T07:21:00.005-06:00

I'm reading a book called "Same Kind of Different As Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore and it is one of the best books I have ever read. I don't want to talk to much about the book because you need to go read it but here is an excerpt of just one of the parts of this book that has made me re-evaluate my life.

"Here was a man whose life seemed disposable. Yet he found a reason to smile. Drawn to him, Deborah offered him a plate of home-cooked food and a prayer. Then, truly puzzled, she asked him, 'Why are you so happy?' 'I woke up' he replied, eyes twinkling in his haggard face, 'and that's reason enough to be happy!'

Deborah rushed home to tell me what he'd said, as though she'd been given a treasure that needed to be deposited immediately in my memory bank. From that day on, three words-'WE WOKE UP!'- were the first to come out of our mouths, a tiny prayer of thanksgiving for something we'd always taken for granted, but that a derelict had had the wisdom to see as a blessing fundamental to all others."

My entire life I have felt drawn to the homeless, addicted, impoverished people of the world. I remember as a little girl sitting in the back seat of my parents car and seeing homeless people under overpasses or begging for food and going home in my room and crying. I wanted to help them I wanted to do something; but what? As I got older that compassion never went way but grew; even when I wasn't serving the Lord that seed of compassion that was placed inside me by the Holy Spirit was always there. I absolutely believe that if you pass someone on the street in need and you have something that you can give that you should give it. However, it isn't just giving money or food...it is your time, your love; God's love.

I try to go run every morning around 6 am and when I leave the park usually there is a little old man wearing dark sunglasses, the same long sleeve shirt and pants, and walking with a cane. He has a little plastic cup that when I have money I place in it and he always smiles at me and tells me, "God bless you." Today when I placed some change in his cup I asked what his name was and he looked at me surprised but told me and then he asked me if I believed in God. I told him I do and, in fact, I am a missionary and I work with children. He said, "Los niños son los ojos de Dios" which means "The children are the eyes of God." After that the light turned green and I had to go but I seriously doubt that the sweet old man begging for change has any idea how his words blessed me. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that we take for granted and things we are aware of but need to be reminded of. Just like the homeless guy in the book and the little old man begging for money they are the same kind of different as me and God has called us to demonstrate His love to all and in return you will be surprised that they will bless you. Take time out of your day to look around and create a meaningful relationship with someone on the street. Ask the Lord to give you His compassion for others, and He will.

"The one who gives to the poor will not be in need, but one who turns his eyes away will receive many curses." Proverbs 28:27

The Lord Knows Just What I Need

2011-01-17T07:09:00.004-06:00

Yesterday morning was the Guardian's of the Vision Big Day Service: The Breath of Life. I don't know how many people remember Superbook but it was a Christian anime cartoon that came on when I was younger. We kind of based the drama off of that. A father and his two sons were searching for a treasure and came across a huge Bible and when they opened it they were sucked inside. The children reenacted the creation, the fall of man, different miracles, and Jesus dying on the cross. It was really cute and the kids did a great job. During the alter call I was taking pictures but I stopped for a moment to pray and at that moment many of the kids surrounded me and prayed for me. It was exactly what I needed. I felt so loved and so encouraged in that moment because my father knows exactly what I need and when I need it.

Things that Baffle Me Pt. 1

2011-01-06T18:04:00.002-06:00

This may throw some of you for a loop but not everyone in the world has a dishwasher. I do not have a dishwasher. I wash my dishes and then sit them on a plastic dish rack to dry. I am baffled at how dirty the dish rack gets. Weekly, I have to actually put all my dishes away and clean the dish rack. How does that happen? What perplexes me is that I wash my dishes; so they are clean. All they have is water on them so how does the rack get so gross? I was going to put this as a facebook status however I felt like it needed more explanation than I care to put on my status, so I turned it into a blog post.

2011

2011-01-01T13:39:00.002-06:00

I rang in the new year with my missionary family and a team from the United States. I made cajun red beans and rice and everyone loved it. It was the first "cajun" food most of them ever had. Even my Salvadoran friends liked it however they thought it was a little to spicy. We did fireworks, bombs, mortars, firecrackers, sparklers, ect. for what seemed like hours. Around 10 we all gathered together and had a time of worship and prayer. Then it morphed into a testimony service. Everyone began sharing cool miracles and then we prayed for different team members who needed miracles in their body or life. The team also surrounded the missionary team and prayed for us and the ministry. It was a wonderful time with the Lord and a terrific way to bring in the New Year. Right before midnight we went on the roof to view the most spectacular firework show you could ever see. From the Triplett's house you can see over the city and literally in every direction there is nothing but fireworks for a good 30 minutes straight. Words and pictures can not even come close to explaining how awesome it is. I love El Salvador and I love being here and I thank God for all He is done in my life and look forward to amazing and new things in the Lord in this upcoming year.

New Years Resolution

2010-12-30T14:09:00.005-06:00

Yes, I know probably the most cliche thing I could blog about but I'm doing it. I love the feel of new beginnings, trying new things, moving new places, meeting new friends. That is why I love the new year so much. It makes you reflect on the past and helps you see what you wantt to change. Also, another reason why being a follower of Jesus Christ is so awesome is because it says in the Bible that God's grace is new every single morning. (Lamentations 3:23) So it's like every morning when we wake up we get a complete new chance at life. So honestly, I could write a book on all that needs to change in me or things I'd like to do but here are my top few.

1.) Know God More

2.) Love with His love

3.) Run farther and more regularly

4.) Improve my surfing

5.) Simplify (every area of my life)

6.) Learn to do something new

Like the song says, "I got a feelin' that tonight is going to be a good night." Well, I gotta feelin' that 2011 is going to be a good year.

Focus on Others

2010-12-29T09:16:00.002-06:00

Last week as I was driving back from dropping off someone at the airport I exited off the highway and sitting under the overpass was a little old lady. She was very old, and wrapped up in rags. My heart went out to her and as I was watching there was a young man sitting there talking to her. It was chilly and He probably had somewhere to go but it was so comforting to me to see someone take notice of her and not just pass her by like so many people were doing; like so many of us would do. Then as he walked off another young man gave her some money and stood there talking to her. It really blessed me to see two young men reach out to this lady. Maybe giving our change won't make a difference but giving our our time will. This new year, may we focus on others. Let us not be so conformed to the world around us that we no longer hear the cries for help or see those in distress. (Taken from Voices of the Faithful.)

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed..."

The Local Gringa

2010-12-28T16:28:00.003-06:00

This morning as I was surfing none of my local friends were out so I had my spot to myself for a while. Then it started to get a little crowded as more surfers came out. It was cool, though, because I was asked by two different surfers if I was a local. I told them, not really, I live in San Salvador and come out on my days off but I don't live at El Tunco. They were like well your are practically a local. You live in El Salvador and come out to surf on a regular basis, your a local gringa. One of the guys was named Alejandro and he is a good friend of one of the locals out there but in between sets we were able to talk and I was able to share with him what I do and why I live here and it turns out he is a Christian as well. Tuesday might be my day off but I'm always a Christian and I believe that whatever I do and wherever I go is an opportunity to share God's love. Always before I go surfing I pray that God will put people in my path that I can share with and he always does.

Real Salvadoran Christmas

2010-12-26T08:16:00.003-06:00

Christmas Party at Church.
Sulma and I cooked the turkey for the first time.
Setting off fireworks for the first time.
This Christmas was a lot of firsts for me. It was my first "real" Salvadoran Christmas. I have spent Christmas's here but I have always been with Americans. On the 24th we always have church service. In which we had a Birthday Party for Jesus with the children and gave them their gifts. Then after the church service I went over to Oscar and Sulma's house. Oscar and Sulma are the children's pastors that I work with. Sulma and I cooked a turkey for the first time, ever, and it turned out perfect; thanks to my mom and the cajun injector and baking bag she brought down for me. So, we put the turkey in at 7 pm. We hang out and then we went to visit another family in the church and ate Christmas dinner with them and hung out at their house until 10 pm. Drove back and took the turkey out at about 11:00 pm. Went around the corner to by fireworks. Started setting off fireworks at 11:30. I set of a firework and it was my first time to do that as well. My dad or brother always lights them as I watch. By this time the streets are full of people and everyone is setting off fireworks. Then when it turns 12 it is like a war zone. Fireworks are going off and everyone hugs one another and says "Feliz Navidad." It felt very similar to New Years Eve but it was Christmas eve. Then we all went back to the house to eat Christmas dinner. We hang out for a little bit more and then I went to bed. It was so much fun and a really cool experience. I learned another cultural thing for this time of year. Everyone eats grapes and apples on Christmas Eve. Every house we went to there was a plate of apples and grapes. Some people eat 12 grapes at 12 for good luck.

Surf Lessons

2010-12-23T12:55:00.003-06:00

Dani y Rebeca Moran
Marito Moran
William Duarte

Yesterday, a group of friends from church went to the beach. A family in our church has a "Rancho" on the beach, where I surf, so we all pitched in for food and went out there for the day. It was such a good day. We played football, surfed, ate great food, and enjoyed wonderful company. The whole reason of the beach trip being planned was because the Moran kids have been wanting to learn how to surf. I took Dani out on my board and he did really good. He stood up quite a few times. Rebeca told me, "Kristal I want to be a surfer like you." She was asking me questions so how do you stand on the board, what is the hardest thing about surfing? It was really cute. While we were eating and having a good time talking I thought about how I missed my family but how blessed I am for the Salvadoran family God has given me. I love them all so much and I am so blessed to be part of such a wonderful ministry, with wonderful people. I couldn't ask for a better Christmas present. Marito and Dani are both Guardians of the Vision and the really cool thing is their father worked on my team when I came down here for the first time when I was 12. Now, I am 28 years old and teaching his kids.

Beanie Babies

2010-12-21T17:30:00.005-06:00

Travis giving out beanie babies to the boys.
The kids loved them!
Mom saved and collected all year to be able to give to the kids here in El Salvador.
I thought it was really cool that my mom and brother could be apart of the Christmas festivities.
Mom and Travis with a Guardian at our 2010 Guardian of the Vision Christmas Camp.

Christmas Around the World

2010-12-17T07:50:00.002-06:00

I love spending Christmas here in El Salvador. Truly I feel more at home here than I do in the States. However, the holidays without your family can always make one a bit melancholy. It was wonderful having my mom and brother visiting me this past week but now that they are gone it is a little lonely. So glad we have God's promise that He is always with us. He also knows just what we need. I was reminded of that this morning during my devotion time.

"Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God." Phil. 2:5-6

Another language blunder, but I never imagined it would be so meaningful. It was our fourth Christmas in China, and we had recently moved from a large capital to a remote town.

Each Christmas, we made a manger out of bamboo and filled it with hay, then we wrapped a doll in a blanket and placed it in the manger in our living room. A floodlight shining on the doll's face helped remind us of the wonder of Christmas.

I explained to a Chinese guest that when Jesus was born, He was placed in a feed trough. Instead of saying the Chinese word for "manger," I accidently used the word for "toilet." My wife quickly corrected me, and we laughed at my mistake.

Reflecting later, it wasn't stretching it to say that Jesus was born and then placed in a toilet. The trough most likely didn't smell much better, and compared to the glory He had enjoyed in Heaven, a fee trough surrounded by smelly animals probably did seem comparatively like a toilet.

I realized that the sacrifices made to live in this remote town were pathetically small when compared to those that Jesus made in leaving heaven to come to earth. I was encouraged, though, to think that moving to this town was in line with the Christmas message.

Jesus left a place of comfort to seek the lost in an uncomfortable and remote place called earth. It took a language blunder to be reminded that our relocation was merely our humble attempt to follow His example. -A worker in China

(Taken from Voices of the Faithful; Moore, Beth)

Christmas Camp

2010-12-16T07:22:00.000-06:00

This past month has been a whirlwind of events with the grand finale being the Guardian of the Vision Christmas Camp.

Stories from the Streets of San Miguel

2010-11-29T08:46:00.004-06:00

16 years ago in the city of San Miguel I received my calling to be a missionary to El Salvador. I was the same age as the Mini Master's. It was surreal being back in San Miguel and I reminisced over the past years and just thanked God for what He brought me out of and I'm still in awe that He would choose me to serve in this beautiful country.

During one of the street programs this women came up and asked for us to pray for her granddaughter that is sick with bronchitis. Then she told me that she wanted us to pray because she is having economic problems and just recently someone in her family had passed away so she was really going through some tough times. To be able to pray with her and see the kids all lay hands on her and intercede was a beautiful thing and she was touched by the Lord.

These kids were the reason I came to San Miguel. They had a place to live but are street kids. No one takes care of these kids. They live outside of the church and Susanna and I invited them in but they didn't want to come. Eventually, they came and sat with us. Naked, sick, and dirty they sat with us on the wooden pews of the church and heard the word of God, maybe for the first time I think what broke my heart was the way the church members looked at us for bringing these precious kids inside their church.

Samuel, the one on the far right, is such an awesome kid. During one of the programs he went to a group of boys in the distance who were sitting on their bikes listening to the street program. A few of the other kids went over to talk to them as well. They shared about God's love and saving power. After a while he came over to me looking sad. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "They didn't want to accept Jesus in their hearts." I told him that he did what he was supposed to do. He shared God's love and the seed has been planted. Some people plant, some water, and some pick the fruit.

Do You Hear What These Children Are Saying?

2010-11-21T20:49:00.003-06:00

This is 9 year old Wendi Mendez. She is the one closest to the camera in the jean skirt. During one of the evening devotions we had this past week she testified that she felt God speak to her as she was praying for Big Day. Big Day is an evangelistic service that we have once a month and each month different groups are in charge of it. This month the Guardian's were in charge and the theme was "Forgiveness is Love." She said that God said He would strengthen the kids and He is going to fill the people with his presence and love. Now that happened this past Saturday or Sunday. Today God filled people with His presence and love. Bro. Don Triplett asked the parents, that were in attendance, to find their kids and pray with them. The alters will filled with parents embracing their kids. The alters were filled with restoration. Those kids whose parents weren't there the leaders and pastors of the church stood in as there parents in Christ and prayed with them.
Oscar Ruiz, the children's Pastor, preaching
One of the fathers praying with his daughter.
This little boy, Adalverto, testified about the real forgiveness he received when he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As he stood on stage sharing, tears streamed down his face as he spoke about God's true forgiveness and love.

"Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "Have you never read, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained?"

Dany's Vision

2010-11-20T19:33:00.003-06:00

Dany Moran is a pastor's kid who is nine years old. Last night he shared a vision he had during the ministry time on Thursday night. He said he was praying and he felt someone touch his back. He opened his eyes and angels were all around and they had trumpets. He looked up and in the distance he could see God sitting on the throne and the angels started blowing their trumpets. He said in that moment he fell down on his knees and repented of all the sin in his life because He wanted to be right before the Lord.

Life More Abundantly

2010-11-19T09:02:00.002-06:00

"The thief comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy; I come that they may have life, and have it ABUNDANTLY." John 10:10

The enemy is constantly trying to break down the family. In El Salvador, the statistics of actual marriages is very low; most people just live together. Within our church you can not become a member unless you are married so many couples aren't members because they have not fulfilled that requirement. I have just found out that two of the mini master's have shared that both of their parents' are separating for reasons of infidelity. It breaks my heart seeing our kids so upset and sad over their parents separating. It makes me mad that people are allowing the enemy to creep in and destroy them. Please pray today for the families of our church. Pray that God will protect them, strengthen marriages, keep them faithful, and restore them.

Mini Master's Boot Camp

2010-11-15T07:47:00.004-06:00

The Guardian of the Vision Mini Master Program is for levels 10 and up and is over a month of preparation and ministry while the kids are in their summer break. Boot Camp officially started Saturday morning and ends today after lunch. It consists of morning devotions, english classs, games, How to share your faith, swimming, practicing dramas and songs for Big Day, working on scenery, and Bible Trivia. Last night we had an incredible time of prayer as the kids were filled with more of God. Scott William's, Missionary from Canada, was with us last night. All the kids surrounded him and prayed for the children of Canada to come to know Christ. Today in the morning we will continue working on the Big Day Program which is next Sunday. In the afternoon starts Warrior School; which is much more intense and they actually receive grades from the classes they will take, they have to memorize like 5 scriptures a day, anytime they hear the whistle they have to stop what they are doing and run to whoever is blowing it. It is a week of intense training and learning about God and ministry. It's already been three days with these kids and I can already tell God is going to do amazing things through them.

Be Careful

2010-11-14T07:38:00.002-06:00

Be careful when you ask to see the heart of God. He will give you a burden that will break your heart. I have been conflicted in these past few days but I know the Lord is teaching me something through it. The Lord has really been teaching me about Intercessory prayer during this 21 day fast and during my week in the Prayer Fortress. One of the little girls, who just graduated into the Guardian of the Vision Program, came to spend a week in prayer and opened up about some really horrible things that are going on her life. Things that I could never imagine having seen much less experience on a daily basis. She literally is living a nightmare and is in danger and there is absolutely nothing I can do....except pray. But I feel as though that is not enough. However, the Lord has taught me that true intercession is enough. I was talking to someone about her situation because it has really been bothering me and that person gave the verse Jeremiah 31:13 which says, "The young women will dance for joy, and the men-old and young-will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing." I told her to look up that verse and when she feels scared or sad to meditate on it. Later on that evening during the devotion I prayed with her and she just cried and cried. The next night she came up and talked to me for a while and asked what the verse was that I told her about. She said, "I'll have to memorize it because I don't have a Bible." I told her I would get her a Bible so she can always have God's word close to her heart but it is good to memorize scripture as well. Then she told me that when I was praying for her God have her a sign. She saw her family hugging. She said, "We were all hugging and happy like a real family." With all the stuff she had previously shared and her telling me about her vision my heart just broke even more for her. She said she didn't want to go home that this week in the prayer fortress has been a wonderful, fun, safe week for her. The only thing was that she was worried about her little sister. Later on, that night, in my prayer shift I just cried out to the Lord for her protection and guidance in her situation. As I was praying I felt the Lord speak to my heart that this fast I am on has not been for me to receive but so others can receive. I felt better after the prayer time but still very worried about the whole situation and wondering if there was more that I could do and certainly not wanting to send her back home. Yesterday, one of the missionary's from Romania, came up to me and said, "Kristal, I was praying for you and God gave me a verse for you. She said, "You are doing a great job and making a difference in these kids lives." The verse she gave me was Isaiah 27:3 "I, the Lord, will watch over it and tend its fruitful vines. Each day I will water them; day and night I will watch to keep enemies away." The Lord confirmed in my heart that I don't have to worry. He is watching over these kids and He will protect them. My responsibility is to love them when I see them and pray over them.

Pray for Peace in the Streets

2010-11-11T14:30:00.002-06:00

"...Stop all your violence and oppression and do what is just and right..."

Ezekiel 45:9

We are literally on a race against time to reach the children and youth of El Salvador.

Early in the morning of November 10 one of the youth from our church was killed. Gang violence was the culprit. Cristian Neftali was not a gang member. He was a youth who loved the Lord and was mercilessly murdered because one of the gangs confused his identity as being in the other gang. When will the youth of this nation stop being murdered? When will there be true peace in the streets of El Salvador? When prayer warriors and intercessors rise up from their sleep and take rank as fighters of justice.

Prayer Needs of a 10 year old

2010-11-09T19:41:00.005-06:00

This picture is taken from a notebook that is on the 3rd floor of the prayer fortress, which is the floor for intercession. There is a notebook in the inner room for people to write prayer needs so that while people are on their 2 hour prayer shifts they can pray for these specific needs. Samuel who is a 10 year old Guardian of the Vision wrote this page.

I want you all to pray for the family of the boy who died named Cristian. He was a Guardian from our church. Pray that they would come to church because they have already accepted Christ in their hearts.

That my sister would accept Jesus in her heart because she does not want to come to church. Pray for the Guardian's that want to be Mini Master's so that God would supply the $120.00 that they need for the trip. I give thanks to God because he supplied my needs for the money and now I will be a Mini Master. Please pray for these needs.

Samuel's Miracle

2010-11-07T14:44:00.002-06:00

I wrote about Samuel a few blogs back and I just heard about an awesome miracle he just had. So, last Sunday he asked me to pray for him because his family was having economic problems and he wanted to be a Mini Master and didn't have the money. So Pastor Sulma told me yesterday one of the North American teams were with the Guardian's during the program we have on Saturdays. Samuel was praying for one of the women and while he was praying for her God spoke to her heart and said, "In the way I blessed you with money to come to El Salvador I want you to bless him." She didn't know what he needed or why but she somehow found out that he needed money to be a Mini Master. So she gave all that he needed and today he will be coming to the camp to take part in the Guardian's Prayer Week and be a Mini Master.

Prayer Week

2010-11-06T15:35:00.004-06:00

Every Friday night at 10:00 the torch is passed on to a new group that will be responsible for maintaining 24/7 prayer and fasting.
My first prayer shift was 6-8 this morning. To make sure the shifts are covered and there is always prayer going on during the change each person comes 15 minutes early to their shift and stays 15 minutes later. So this is what it looked like as I hiked up the mountain at 5:30 this morning.
Emily Beebe, a missionary kid and Guardian, was on shift with me this morning.
We were blessed by this beautiful sunrise.

Celebrate God's Love

2010-11-04T05:28:00.003-06:00

I'm reading a terrific book by Alicia Britt Chole called "Anonymous" that I highly recommend. Last night as I was reading she quotes a prayer by someone named Basilea Schlink. I liked what she had quoted so I looked up some more writings by this German religious leader and writer. I stumbled across this article entitled "Jesus Christ: The True Bridegroom" which goes perfectly with the theme God seems to be trying to teach me. Love Him....with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Celebrate His love everyday and throughout the day. I hope you find this article as interesting and profound as I did.

Jesus Christ:The True Bridegroom by Basilea Schlink

Jesus is a true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. That is why He calls Himself Bridegroom in the Scriptures. His great love desires a bride, a bridal soul. He longs fervently for her love. He looks for her to see whether she is about to come to Him, to see whether she longs and yearns for Him, to see whether she really wants Him alone.

Jesus is a true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. He wants to give us His love; but He is also waiting for us to return His love. Jesus is a true Bridegroom. His love is a jealous love. He wants you, your soul, completely. He is jealous when you give your love to other people and to other things. He is jealous when pay more attention to them, when you give them more time, more of yourself, than you give Him. Then He stands beside you, grieved. Then He is hurt and wounded, because He loves you so much.

Jesus is a true Bridegroom. He does not force you to love Him. He asks: "Will you give Me your love?", and He gets what He wants when you do this. Only one thing will satisfy Him - your love. All else is too small for Him: that you believe in Him, that you obey Him, that you come to Him for forgiveness. He is not only your Physician who heals you. He is not only your Redeemer who delivers you from your bonds. He wants to be your Bridegroom, and as Bridegroom He gives you His great, His tender, His most intimate love. Now He is waiting for you to give Him your love. He who loves wants to be loved in return.

Because Jesus is the Bridegroom, He can be wounded if you take up self-chosen crosses, choosing the way of poverty and resolving to make sacrifices simply for ascetic reasons. Certainly He wants you to follow Him on the way of the cross. But His heart is filled with grief and sorrow if it is not love that impels you. You should not take the way of the cross for your own sanctification, but rather - as He repeatedly said while He was on earth - "For My sake you should lose your life, for My sake you should forsake houses, brethren . . ." Out of love for Him, out of love alone you should choose obedience, lowliness, humility and disgrace. Only the dedication which springs from love will make Him happy. Indeed, this is the only dedication which He will accept. Nothing else. All else is insufficient. Anything else would be more likely to wound Him, because it is simply pious deceit; we seem to be going His way, but it is really for our own sake.

Jesus, the Bridegroom, is the Man of Sorrows. He suffers to this present day. He is seeking a bride who will share with Him what is in His heart. His heart is filled not only with love, but also with suffering - past and present. He is seeking a bride who will really live out the bridal state, whose heart will beat with His, who will bear things with Him, who not only suffers through her own afflictions, but also suffers His afflictions with Him, who in reality enters into the fellowship of suffering with Him. Only she is a true bride who is concerned about His concerns - about the needs of His people and His Church and the things which hinder His dominion among the peoples.

For Him the bride is the soul who suffers with Him and who is prepared to do everything to alleviate His sufferings. She seeks ways through sacrifice and prayer and does her utmost to ensure that the things which trouble Him may be changed. She labors so that He may be honored where He is not now honored, that He may be feared where He is not now feared. She strives to lead back to God the people who are not living according to His commandments and statutes, and so she comforts His heart and makes Him happy. She spends her life for Him and suffers until she has loved souls home to Him by whom they can be saved, until people set themselves under His dominion and begin to love Him. Not until her Bridegroom is comforted will she be satisfied. The bride keeps asking Him: "How can I comfort You?", and in the quietness the Bridegroom will tell her what grieves Him. She will go with Him to comfort Him.

Jesus is a true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. That is why He is not satisfied when we simply set ourselves under His dominion and give Him slavish obedience. He wants more - He wants our heart, our very hearts blood. As the Bridegroom, He asks: "How much am I worth to you? How much can you sacrifice for Me? Can you give Me your beloved children? Can you give Me father and mother and friends? Can you give Me your home and your native land out of love if I ask for these? Will you go anywhere I call you to serve, and lead to Me the souls for which I hunger? Can you sacrifice your honor, your strength, your longing to be loved, your deepest secret wishes for Me?"

Jesus is a true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. He waits for His bride. He does not seek to force love; it must be spontaneous. He knocks softly on the door. He waits until someone opens it. He stands behind the door and looks to see whether His bride will open up and come out to Him (Song of Solomon 5:2). His eyes follow her sadly if all day long she is busy and in a hurry, if she goes about everything quickly and vigorously and yet spiritually is becoming estranged from Him, because she is completely engrossed with her work and earthly business.

Jesus is a true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. His ardent concern is to impart His likeness to His bride so that she too may radiate divine beauty and be adorned with many virtues. He works with specials care, loving care for His bride. He guides her and leads her along paths of chastisement, for this will bring her to where His is. He dreams of the full beauty that shall be hers. He loves her too much to suffer her to have any "spots" or "wrinkles", because she is His bride. Full of pride and joy, His loving eyes beholds her as though she were perfect. Through the power of His blood He, the Almighty, can bring her to the perfection of divine beauty.

Jesus is a true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. So He stands as a Protector besides His bride. He is intent upon protecting her from all who may want to harm her. He strives on her behalf. To be a bride means that one is no longer alone. It means that one has an intimate partner who lives for his bride, and to do everything that he can for her. So, Jesus, the Bridegroom, lives to do everything for Him bride, to help her in every situation, in every need, in every impossibility. She is no longer alone. Jesus is true Bridegroom; this is His very nature. He is waiting in heaven for the day when His bride will come to Him so that He can be united with her for ever. He seeks her in unending love.

I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In steadfast love, and in mercy. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness; And you shall know the Lord. (Hosea 2:19-20).

Reference Used: My All For Him by Basilea Schlink

Power of Intercessory Prayer

2010-10-31T18:11:00.003-06:00

Cristian's Family

If there is a lesson I have recently learned it is the power of intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of others. As believers of Jesus Christ it is our responsibility and the Lord has been showing me this more and more. One amazing example of the power of intercessory prayer is this morning Cristian's family came to our children's church service. It has been 8 days since Cristian's death and today they also wanted the kids to do a street program outside of their house in his memory. God is working in their lives and all credit goes to the Lord because there has been a complete change in their attitudes toward God and the church.

The Lord's Doin'

2010-10-28T20:18:00.003-06:00

The Lord is moving and doing things that we could never imagine. We received a call today that Cristian's mother and one of his brothers wants to come to the Guardian's of the Vision children program to see what made Cristian so happy every Saturday and Sunday. It may not seem like a big deal but it is huge and I know that God is working in their hearts. It reminds me of an Andrae Crouch song,

This is the Lords doin’
and it is marvelous, marvelous in our eyes.

Solo:
The Lord is my Sheppard
the Lord is my light.
Whom shall I fear,
whom shall I fear?
He died to bring salvation.
To each and ev’ry nation

Cristian's Story

2010-10-25T20:34:00.010-06:00

Cristian Ramirez was a 10 year old boy who was a Guardian of the Vision. This past Saturday we were going to cancel the weekly children's program because it was declared nation-wide that kids were going to have to go to school. We decided to have the program just in case some kids showed up. Cristian was 1 of the 16 Guardians that came to the program on Saturday. We had a great devotional time and Cristian

was in my prayer group in which we

prayed for our purpose in life. Later in his class he told his teacher that he was ready to die but he wanted his family to be prepared to go to heaven, as well. After the class, we all played soccer together. Later on that evening his mother told him to go to a Children's Day Celebration at another church close to where he lived. He didn't want to go but went anyway. At 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, a Pastor of another church lost control of his truck and ran into the church. Cristian was hit and died instantly as did the Sunday School teacher. That night we went to the wake. I was able to talk to some of his friends, who are also Guardians, and we talked about how much fun we had that morning. They all said it was like he knew it was his last day because he so happy. One of the girl's said today at church was a good farewell for him. Around 1:00 a.m. we were invited to go talk to Cristian's mom. I have never seen anyone so distraught and sitting in that room as she held his shirts like a baby was incredibly painful. All I could do was pray that Pastor Misael and Pastor Sulma had wisdom in what they said as they tried to comfort her. She did not want to be comforted and kept saying "Cristian wanted to be a Pastor! Why would God take such a good, sweet kid? God took a piece of me when He took Cristian, I don't want to live anymore." It was extremely hard to hear what she was saying in her grief but from that moment I knew God started working in her heart and the hearts of the rest of the family. The next morning we had to tell the kids at church. It was hard to see their reactions but we were able to use Cristian's death to remind them that we never know when we could die and it is important that we get our lives right. Many children raised their hands saying they were not ready to meet Jesus if they died when the left church and we were able to pray with them. After that we loaded up a bus and took the Guardian's to Cristian's home to see his body and say words to the family since the kids wouldn't be able to go to the funeral. It was very hard but it was good not only for the kids to see their friend but the family saw 50 something kids get off the bus to see Cristian was an encouragement to them. I was so proud of our kids, as in groups, we went in to see his body and while they were waiting outside they all sitting had out their Bibles reading. A few different kids went inside the house and shared words with Cristian's mom and family. I was really proud of Leticia as she spoke being that she just lost her dad and we were at his funeral on Friday. Samuel, with authority, spoke to the family and said, "Cristian's body lays in that casket but he isn't there. He is in heaven with Jesus and if you want to see him again you need to give your life to Jesus Christ."

Today was the funeral and the mom asked the kids to come inside and sing "Mi Rey Jesus." She said Cristian would come home singing it. About 20 of us went inside as Cristian's Guardian of the Vision shirt was laying over the casket and his mom was weeping we started to sing My King Jesus and a peace just came over the room as she rested and listened. As we were finished we heard it playing outside. They asked for us to do the songs so all the Guardians, and Youth Warriors, went out in the street and did a Castle program for hundreds of people. While they were doing the program the news station came and taped. Pastor Misael lead the actual service at the grave site which was a good bit away in Tejutepeque and he did a great job. Cristian did not die in vain! Today hundreds of people heard the good news about the salvation we have in Jesus Christ and could feel His presence in a real way. We believe the Lord is going to save Cristian's family and one day they will all be reunited in Heaven just like he wanted.

Julia's Story

2010-10-23T16:22:00.003-06:00

Julia Gabriela

Dob: January 21, 2001

Age: 9

I was Catholic and so was my entire family. When I was seven some people came and did a program at a park close to my house. That is where my brother and I both accepted Jesus Christ in our hearts. We were invited to church. At church they said they would give out a free shirt to those who bring their family so we brought our family and got a shirt. Now our parents go to church with us and are involved. I started in Club Castillo and I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the level 4 camp and now I am a Guardian of the Vision and I want to be a Mini Master so I can reach more people for Christ. This is one of my dreams and I know I will achieve it.

Dennis's Story

2010-10-23T16:17:00.003-06:00

Dennis Eduardo

Dob: December 4, 1999

Age: 10

I accepted Jesus in my heart when I was 9 years old. And I started coming to the King's Castle church and the Club Castillo discipleship program. In the prayer fortress, at a camp, I prayed to be filled with the Holy Spirit but I have not received it yet. That is one of the reasons I want to be a Mini Master because I will learn more about God and have more experiences with the Holy Spirit and receive his baptism. One day I was praying for Richie after his knee had been operated on and he was still having problems and after I prayed for him God healed his knee. I want to be a Mini Master because I want to draw closer to the Lord.

Kevin's Story

2010-10-23T16:12:00.003-06:00

Kevin Martinez

Dob: September 11, 1999

Age: 11

I accepted Jesus Christ in my heart when I was 2 years old. My understanding was that I wanted to serve Christ my whole life. I started going to Castillo Feliz and after that Club Castillo and when I was in the 4th level I went to a camp and at the Prayer Fortress I was asking the Lord to be filled with the Holy Spirit but I didn't receive it. But when I returned to my house I continued to pray for the Holy Spirit and that is when I received it. Now I am a Guardian of the Vision and I want to be a Mini Master so I can reach more people than we did last year for Christ.

Jose's Story

2010-10-23T16:06:00.004-06:00

Jose Adalberto

Dob: February 19, 1999

Age:11

One day my Aunt came to my house and invited me to church and so I went. She then told me that there is a children's program on Saturday so I started to go. I went through the entire Club Castillo process and in 2008 I graduated as a Guardian of the Vision. In 2009, I went to the Guardian's Christmas camp and the last day of the camp I knew God was there and I prayed and prayed and He filled me with his Holy Spirit. Now in 2010 I want to be a Mini Master because I know want God to use me for my entire life.

Julio's Story

2010-10-23T16:01:00.003-06:00

Julio Bonilla

Dob: October 10, 1997

Age: 13

I received Jesus Christ in my heart in a King's Castle program and now I am a child of God. I have gone through a children's discipleship program called Club Castillo and I graduated from that and now I am a Guardian of the Vision and I want to be a Mini Master.

Samuel's Story

2010-10-23T15:43:00.004-06:00

Samuel Alexander

Dob: May 13, 1998

Age: 12 years old

One day some people came to my house and invited me to a street program and at that program I accepted Jesus Christ in my heart. After that I started going to church and I'm a Guardian of the Vision and I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the prayer fortress when I went to level 10 camp. Now I would like to be a Mini Master because God has given me this goal.

Mini Master's is a program that we have for the Guardians of the Vision level 10 and up. It is during summer vacation which starts in November. November 5-12 we will be in the Prayer Fortress for our prayer week, 12-19 will be Mini Master boot camp which is a week of intense training for evangelism, and the rest of November we will be working in churches and doing street programs throughout El Salvador. The first week of December is the Guardian of the Vision Christmas Camp and then the Mini Master will be working a miracle campaign after that. Then we will have a break for Christmas and at the end of January we will be going to Honduras for the Regional King's Castle Summit in which we will be doing evangelism on the Coast of Honduras. The kid's are working hard to raise their funds so they can be a part of these activities in which God will dramatically change their lives.

When I Go Don't Cry For Me

2010-10-22T17:50:00.003-06:00

"When I go don't cry for me

In my Father's arms I'll be

The wounds this world left on my soul

Will all be healed and I'll be whole."

Wednesday the father of two little girls that are in our Guardian of the Vision program passed away. Leticia and Raquel are two sweet, amazing little girls who have quite a calling on their lives. Leticia is a natural born leader and Raquel just radiates God's beauty. They live in an extremely dangerous part of San Salvador but that hasn't affected their love for God. Their parents are both believers however attended a different church than the girls. Many churches do not have children's programs so that is why many children come alone to our church. Their father woke up in the middle of the night and just collapsed and died of natural causes. They knew it was just his time to go and be with the Lord. We, as the discipleship department, all went to the funeral to support the girls. We drove up to the cemetery and waited for the body to arrive. Shortly there after we heard music and saw the crowd slowly walking around the truck that carried the casket. The girls were weeping and walked up to the site as some other kids that are in our program came up to greet us. It really impacted me that when the girls' mother spoke she said thank you to everyone who came from Castillo del Rey to support their girls and thanked us for our work in teaching them the things of Christ. She said that her husband, their father, planted the seed in their hearts and we are the ones watering it. Then came the time for people to pass and see the body one last time which was absolutely heart wrenching to hear the cries of the girls as they saw their father for the last time on earth. As they lowered him into the ground we had the girls with us and just loved on them and comforted them as much as we could. After he was buried their mother came over to all of us and thanked us again for our work with the girls and for coming. It was probably one of the saddest moments I have had thus far because I just felt so helpless. To see little children that you work with and care for hurting in such a way that you can do nothing to make it better is simply horrible.

My Heart Breaks

2010-10-18T17:28:00.003-06:00

There is a high price to pay when you love people. When you love people you risk losing them, getting betrayed, hurt, and the list could go on and on. But to love them is worth it even if they break your heart. Before my heart broke I read this passage and as I found out about various things that had happened today it really spoke to me. 1 Peter 1:6-8 "So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy."

Yesterday, I did not go to church because I was very sick. However, during that time I spent in prayer and during my prayer time I had a huge burden for a 14 year old boy named Alejandro who used to be in our Castle Club program. About two weeks ago I was told that he had a terminal illness and the Doctors had not given him much more time to live. His family situation was messed up and he lived with his grandmother who was a strict Catholic and really hard on him. She didn't want him coming to church and all. Apparently, he has been on morphine for a while to help with the pain. Yesterday, at church the power of God fell in a huge way. I was not there but I heard all kinds of stories so in the Pastor's meeting today we prayed and shared all the different stories about the miracles and great things God did. So I shared that during this time I had a huge burden for Alejandro. Jacob, the youth pastor, asked me about what time. So I told him and he said that he was praying for Alejandro at the same time. He went up to a lady who happened to be a neighbor of Alejandro and she asked Jacob to pray for him. So we were both praying for him at the same time without knowing it. Shortly after that we received the news that Alejandro passed away at 10:00 am today. My heart broke because I really felt like God was going to touch him but as a friend said he received the best healing he could have. He is in heaven with the Lord. Which is true but still heartbreaking.

It is also hard to hear about friends who have entered into the ministry and done great things for God and decide to leave all that and return to a life on the streets. I keep hearing the same story over and over and I wonder what more can be done to change this cycle. My heart breaks....

Support Missions

2010-10-08T08:34:00.004-06:00

Here is a video that another Missionary Associate just recently made and it shows some of our recent activities we have had with the children. It gives some more insight on what I am doing here with the children of El Salvador.

If you would like to support my ministry you can do so online: http://worldmissions.ag.org/agwm_commit_form.cfm?AcctNo=294265

The work that God has called me to do in El Salvador can not be done without your support.

2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others."

Salvadoran Folklore

2010-10-06T11:25:00.004-06:00

As I was sitting in the Dentist chair this morning I learned about a common belief, here, in El Salvador. I did not know if this belief fell under Folklore or something like an Old Wives Tale but as I read the definition of folklore I believe this falls under that category. An Old Wives' Tale is a type of an urban legend, which is generally passed down by Old Wives to a younger generation. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_wives'_tale). On the contrary, Folklore consists of culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs and so forth within a particular population compromising the traditions (including oral traditions) of that culture, subculture, or group. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folklore)

So the common belief is when there is a strong tremor/earthquake that means the seasons will change. We have been in rainy season since May which is considered winter. Usually, once October hits there is no more rain and it is sunny, cool, and super windy which is Summer time. So we had a 5.0 earthquake on September 30 and exactly since that date the climate has been drastically different. The Dentist that I went to see said she was at her mother's home and after the earthquake her mom said, "Well, winter is over."

Celebrating the day of the Child

2010-10-03T15:56:00.003-06:00

Children's Day, according to Wikipedia, is an event that is celebrated on various days, in many places all over the world. In El Salvador the entire month of October is considered to be the month of the child. So we celebrated our children in the Dream Center Church here in El Salvador. I am horrible with numbers but I think we probably had about 300 or more kids attend this special service that was dedicated to them. We had Space walks, face painting, pinatas, games, and a special clown show.

Tower of Babel

2010-10-01T09:00:00.002-06:00

This past week has been one of major Spanish error. I feel like my brain and mouth just aren't cooperating properly. I could give you examples of my silly errors and misunderstandings but it would not make sense unless you, also, spoke Spanish. The good thing is that when you make a fool of yourself and say something wrong or it may be correct but has another meaning is that when everyone starts laughing and your feel completely humiliated you NEVER forget that mistake and you learn the correct way of saying it real quick. I really love learning Spanish. Learning a language doesn't just include grammar or phonetics but majority of language is learning culture as well. I lived in El Salvador a year and a half and learned on the street as they say. I had taken some Spanish in school and college and I remember hearing my Aunt and her family speaking in Spanish and I also wanted to communicate with them. Coming here I knew the very basics, very basic; like words and greetings. When I decided to extend I then went to Costa Rica for 8 months to study formally. I loved it! And I learned so much; it was exactly what I needed. Now I can communicate, translate, whatever but I'm still constantly learning. Language is such a funny thing. Sometimes I think what if the Tower of Babel thing never happened and we all spoke the same language how different our world would be. It seems that it would be a lot more boring and our cultures wouldn't be a distinctly different. Anyway, I was thinking about some awkward situations that happen to me quite often here in El Salvador regarding language.

1.) Speaking in Spanish to other native English speakers. This is so weird to me and I despise it with all my being. However, when I work in an office with 5 Salvadorans and two Americans when we are talking in a group it would be rude to speak in English. It is just weird to me talking to my own people in Spanish.

2.) Speaking in Spanish to someone who is not a native Spanish speaker but doesn't speak English either so your only common language is Spanish. This happened in Costa Rica quite often as many tourists from Europe would visit and we would have to speak in Spanish to communicate. It is weird because naturally you want to speak your own language to them but they don't understand. However, on the other hand it is neat to be able to communicate.

Language learning is an endless process but very interesting and fun. My advice to anyone who is leaning a language find someone who only speaks that language and become friends. When you have a friend who doesn't speak English and you want to communicate, you will.

Odres Nuevos (New Wineskins)

2010-09-26T16:10:00.003-06:00

Despite rain from tropical storm Mathew we had the Guardian of the Vision Camp for level 11. There are 7 levels in the Guardian of the Vision discipleship program and I am the level 11 supervisor. We always have camps the last weekend of the month but because my level is a higher level I don't always have a camp. The camps are good because they remove the children out of their normal environment and puts them in a safe and beautiful environment outside of the city. And we have the whole weekend to pour into their lives and get to know them better. We had 12 kids for this camp and the theme was becoming a new wineskin. The main verse was from Jeremiah 18:6 "...As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand." It was truly a privilege to run this camp and to minister to their lives. This camp was not only so that level 11 could be refilled and renewed by the Holy Spirit but also to minister to others. They had the opportunity to pray for kids in lower levels to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and many children received the gift of speaking in other tongues. This weekend was also a Empowerment Retreat for our church, which consisted of a two day water fast. The kids in my level were given a choice if they wanted to fast or not. I was surprised that two boys decided to fast breakfast and lunch on Saturday which really made me proud. It was a great weekend of renewal and empowerment from the Holy Spirit for many people.

Sound the Alarm

2010-09-24T12:27:00.001-06:00

Amos 3:8 "The lion has roared-tremble in fear! The Sovereign Lord has spoken-I dare not refuse to proclaim his mesage!"

In a world broken by selfishness, violence and indifference, we admit feeling powerless to make a change. However, you have promised that all things are possible through your spirit. Fill us with hope, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable injustice. Amen.

English Class

2010-09-23T19:14:00.002-06:00

I had forgotten how much I enjoy teaching English. I have had varies friends approach me about teaching them English so we put together a class. I am teaching 4 of our pastors, from our church, English which is really exciting especially since all of them are called to be missionaries. English is vital if you are going to be a missionary in most other countries. I will be teaching one hour classes twice a week. Another reason I enjoy it is because they ask grammar questions that I haven't thought about in ages so it helps me keep up and learn new things about my own language.

Independence Day

2010-09-15T18:00:00.003-06:00

All the girls
The ferry ride
Geremias putting icing on my face.

Today is Independence Day for Mexico, Central and South America and we celebrated it with a family that I have celebrated this holiday with since I have been in El Salvador. We had a lot of fun because we drove out to Suchitoto which is where the grandfather lives. It is also Geremias's birthday tomorrow and that is why we are covered in icing. It is tradition here that the birthday person gets icing in the face but somehow it turned into a war. Geremias used to be a Guardian and now is in our adolescent program at church and now his little sister, Catherine, is in our Guardian's program. We ate breakfast and then went into town and saw the end of a parade and then we went to the lake and took a ferry ride across. For lunch we had Sopa de Gallina, hen soup, fresh coconut milk to drink, and of course cake for dessert. It was a very special and memorable time.

Let Me Burn With Holy Love

2010-09-05T20:03:00.002-06:00

I have been blessed with a burden. A burden for a Guardian named Enrique. I wrote about him a few weeks back. I had not seen him at church since the Big Day service. Today he came to church and I gave him a big hug and talked to him for a little bit asking him where he had been. He didn't really give me any kind of reason. I don't know what it is but my heart goes out to him. I hardly know him but I can see a strong call of the Lord on his life. This evening as I was praying the Lord brought Enrique to my mind. Again, like when I prayed for him at the Big Day service, I just broke. My heart hurts for him and I don't know why. All I can do is cry out to God for his protection and ask the Lord to cover him. My heart literally feels heavy and I feel as if I can feel his sadness even though I don't know what it is. However, I know the Lord has blessed me with a burden for Enrique and even though I don't know what is going on the Lord is working and orchestrating something great in his life.

Excuses

2010-09-01T16:54:00.003-06:00

Why do we make excuses when it comes to our money and our time? There always seems to be an excuse when it comes to a person begging for money. We don't know what they are really using the money for. They might not even need the money, who knows? We make excuses to justify why we shouldn't give someone our extra change or buy someone food. I don' t have time, I'm running late for work, I don't have any cash on me, ect. So do we just skip over ALL the verses in the Bible that refer to giving to the poor? It is simply stated in Mathew 5:42 "Give to those who ask..." Simple enough; just give. Don't worry about what they are going to buy or do with the money, you just give with a cheerful heart. When I get to heaven I don't want to stand before God, who is LOVE, and say, "Lord, when did I ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you? And God say to me, "I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these you were REFUSING to help me." (Paraphrased from Mathew 25:44,45) I'm just as guilty as anyone because as many times as I have given, I've certainly passed up people or made excuses for why I shouldn't stop, why I shouldn't help them out, why I shouldn't take some time and just talk. But it isn't right and isn't what the Bible instructs us to do. We are supposed to LOVE and LOVE and LOVE others. How will anyone know the difference from a Christian and someone who is not? And if you don't want to give money well just like Peter and John you have something better. Acts 3:6 "...I don't have any money for you. But I'll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk." Giving isn't just money and time it is giving what God has given you. But compassion goes hand in hand; compassion is love in action. Sometimes it is very hard to live in an impoverished country because you see so much poverty, hurt, and violence that you heart gets hard because you truly can't help everyone. However, you can help those who God puts in your path. Today that happened and I crossed paths with two little boys begging for money. All the missionaries come together once a month for a meeting and after the meeting we all go out to eat for fellowship because we don't see each other that oftn. Today we went to Chili's and we were sitting out on the patio area at a outdoor mall type area. It is an extremely nice mall with a movie theatre and tons of restaurants. Just across the street are squatters. So two little boys came up and started asking people for some coins. Everyone in the patio area just kind of ignored them which is what you have to do many times. Unfortunately, when you do give money in countries that are below the poverty level you will get mobbed by others asking you for something. But all I saw were these two little boys, the same age kids that I work with, and I went over to the fence and I asked them what there names were and where they lived. They pointed to the slum area and I asked why they wanted the money and they said they wanted to buy some soup. I told them that I had a half of sandwich and some fries left over and I asked if they would want it? They smiled and eagerly shook their heads. So I wrapped up my food and Richie, who works in the same department as I do, grabbed some leftover food to give them as well. As we were giving them the food, one of the little boys turned to a table of Salvadorans and was asking them for some money and the waiter quickly realized what was going on and fussed at the kids and told them to leave. But the waiter, and those other Salvadorans saw an act of compassion. Hopefully, that will mark them. How unfortunate it would have been, a whole table of missionaries, just turn their backs to some children who just wanted some food or a few cents to go buy something. I leave you with these concluding words from Hebrews 13:1,2 "Continue to love each other with TRUE Christian LOVE. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it."

Engagement Shots

2010-08-26T19:58:00.004-06:00

This is the one that they both chose for their wedding invitations.

Bryan and Lesly are the Transition Pastors at the church. So they are part of the Children's Pastoral Staff. We loose many kids during the transition of 12 years old from being a Guardian of the Vision to 13 years becoming an adolescent. So Bryan and Lesly work with those kids to spend special time with them and keep them involved so when they graduate into the next program they don't feel lost. Bryan and Lesly are also getting married in September and needed a picture for their wedding invitations. I volunteered to take them because I wanted the practice and I thought it would be fun and bless them. Here are a few of my favorites from the shoot we had.

Not Just Another Sunday

2010-08-22T20:23:00.005-06:00

Translating for Pastor Phil.
Jonathan, in the red shirt, being prayed for.
60 second challenge-keeping as many balloons in the air using one hand.
Cesar is one of the boys that I used to disciple in Distrito Italia.

Each Sunday is never just another Sunday. It is another day to do all that we can to reach the children of El Salvador who are bussed into our service. This Sunday we had a team from Canada with us and so Pastor Phil from that team preached. The translator on the team had to go do something so I was asked to translate for him on the spot. Since I was in children's church I didn't feel as much pressure and knew I could do it. But usually I don't want to do it. I don't like being in front of everyone and attracting lots of attention to myself. Plus, I want to do the best I can to translate correctly and speak clearly so that the word of God will be understood as the speaker in English is speaking. Translating is much different than just speaking conversational Spanish. You can't translate word for word. You have to focus on what the speaker is saying and immediately turn it around in your mind to make sense in the other language that you are translating into. Regardless, of what I did or said the word of God went forth and lives were touched. Six children, who were visiting for the first time, accepted Jesus into their hearts and to me that is what it is all about. It's not another Sunday; it's another chance to reach the precious kids, here in El Salvador, with the gospel of Jesus Christ.