We were somewhat discouraged when upon our arrival we learned our translator had backed out on us and when we visited the worksite and learned before we could even get started we’d have to remove a partial wall in three feet of dirt. But glory to the Lord, not only did we get our wall plus a partial wall built, we finished ahead of schedule.
Apancino Apulo, the village where we worked is located approximately 15 miles from the capitol city of San Salvador, and a 45-minute drive through the mountains. It’s somewhat nestled in a valley and only blocks from Lagode Ilopango Lake, one of the largest lakes in El Salvador, with some of the most beautiful scenery I’d ever seen.
In a part of the world where people have very little if any of the modern convinces I was moved by their humility and outward love toward us. Beginning at the airport we were greeted with hugs and their hospitality continued throughout the week & a half we were there.
The village consisted mostly of shanty shacks. Four tin walls and a tin roof. We were told that as many as three generations live in these shacks. Their water is trucked in each day. As the truck enters the village it honks its horn and those needing water waves them down.
Laundry is done in the lake, which was about 3 blocks from where we were working. Each morning you would see women or young girls carrying large tubs of clothes on top of their head. Once at the lake they would wash their clothes on a washing rock (a large flat rock) with a bar of soap. They would then walk back up to their shacks and hang the clothes out to dry.
Those fortunate enough to find jobs in the city would travel by bus or hitchhike into the city where several factories were located including Nike and Puma. We were told that mostly women worked in these factories. The hours being from 6am to 6pm 7 days a week for a meager pay of only $100 for 15 working days which averages out to $1.80 an hour.
Throughout the city and along the main road vendors were set up selling everything from candy and soda to fried foods cooked on portable propane stoves.
Due to the appearance of armed guards at our hotel, all convenient stores and restaurants we felt relatively safe during our stay. The armed checkpoints set up periodically outside the city was a little threatening though. These guys, armed with military typed rifles, were very intimidating, especially when you didn’t understand what they were saying to the driver. Luckily we only had to endure this once during our stay.
We tried many different foods, mostly fried, that we had no idea what they were and the children brought us different fruits grown right there in the village such as bananas, mangos, limes, coconuts and avocado’s. Out of all the different foods we tried coconut milk was the only thing none of us cared for.
Spending time with the children in the village was probably the highlight of our trip. There were five boys in particular we bonded with because they would come to the sight every day after school to help us. Fernando, Julio, William, Danilo and Bayron ranged in ages of 5 to 11 years old. William and Danilo are brothers who were orphaned last year when their mother was murdered by their stepfather. They now live with their grandmother and the other boys are their cousins. Seldom did you see them apart. They really enjoyed Larry’s animal impersonations, and by the end of the week Larry had them all crowing like roosters.
The whole community seemed very close knit, like one big family and they seemed to take great pride in what little they did have. In the evenings I almost felt guilty going back to the comforts of the hotel where we had running water and flushable toilets, not to mention a comfortable bed to sleep in. It was truly humbling to realize how much I’d taken these luxuries for granted back in America. It was even more humbling to see a child’s face light up like a Christmas tree when they were given a simple candy cane or small McDonalds toy.
What impressed me the most about these wonderful people was their passion and commitment to the Lord. In the village where we were they had church services every night except Thursday and members walked a mile or more to attend. We had the opportunity to take part in two of their services and it was an truly awesome experience. Aside from the United Brethren emblem painted on the outside of the tin-roofed cement building you would never know you were in a church until everyone was gathered for praise and worship then you knew the presence of God was all around you. There was no musical instruments, just 40-50 people singing their hearts out for the Lord. Both times I was moved to tears by their passion. It was absolutely beautiful.
Most everyone we met was open and friendly and very appreciative of our being there. Friday night they held a special service in our honor. A translator was brought in to interrupt and 2 women who sung and played guitar performed for us. Each of us was presented a souvenir plague and asked to give a brief speech. As Pastor Walter gave a wonderful speech about us being their friends someone placed an American flag in the window. He said they pray for America because they know she has many enemies, but that they are her friends. He said they are grateful to America because of the missionaries who brought them the gospel. They then served us a delicious diner of Papusa’s. We didn’t know what was in them, but they were very good.
Saturday we were treated to a fun day of sight seeing with Pastor Walter, his wife, Esther and several members of the congregation. They took us up to Puerta De Diablo, which means Devil of Door. It is the highest point in the region and overlooks the capitol city of San Salvador and one of many volcanos in the country. We also spent a couple of hours at the Market Place in San Salvador. It is like a gigantic flea market with all kinds of goodies. I think even the men enjoyed it, though they wouldn’t admit it.
As we departed El Salvador Sunday morning, I left with mixed emotions. Though I longed to return home to family and friends I knew I would never be the same. A part of me would be left behind and I would always long to return to a place that had forever touched my heart.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Mission Trip to El Salvador
The second week in August I learned that a sister church of ours was planning to go to El Salvador in January for a two week short-term mission. I got the letter when I was home on my lunch hour and immediately became excited. This I knew would be a wonderful opportunity to see if the mission field was really where the Lord was leading me. But according to the letter I needed to have my passport information to them by the 31st of August, which at the time was only two weeks away. Seeing that might produce a problem I phoned the post office and learned it was indeed impossible to get a passport that quickly. I also knew the pastor that I worked for was planning to be gone the month of January. Realizing the unlikelihood of my going to El Salvador I gave up on the idea and set it aside.
The following Wednesday, my pastor where I go to church stopped by my work and visited with me. During the course of the visit she brought up the subject of El Salvador and said she wished there was some way I could have made the trip because it would have been a wonderful learning experience for me. After she left I continued to think about it, it was really lying heavy on my heart. So I spoke to the pastor that I work for and told him though I couldn’t go on this trip, I would like to go the next time they went. He suggested I not give up on this trip in January and to contact the coordinator of the trip and see if there was any possible way I can go. So I emailed the guy and told him my situation, that I could not get my passport by the 31st but that I was interested in joining them the following year.
Thursday came and I received no word. But that night I was reading a book by Joyce Meyer about how the Lord speaks to us and she said that sometimes God speaks and we don’t hear or that He speaks and we don’t understand, so He speaks through other people. I immediately thought of Pastor Ann and Pastor Gale. In my prayers to the Lord that night I told him my desire to go to El Salvador and asked if it was his will, to make it happen.
Friday morning when I got to work I sat down at the computer to check my email and I hesitated, I was actually scared to look, it was as if I knew I was going to get my answer. Sure enough there is was an email from the guy assuring me that it wasn’t too late, and an invitation to join the group. I immediately started crying. It was the most awesome experience I’ve had in my walk with God.
It wasn’t long till doubts began to set in though: How was I was going to come up with $1050 the amount needed to go on this trip. I didn’t even have the money to purchase my passport, which was $100.
Then Sunday morning I get to church and someone walks up to me and hands me an envelope, saying the Lord had spoken to them, and asked me to take the envelope and not tell anyone where it came from or how much it was. I stuck the envelope in my Bible and didn’t look inside until I got home. Inside was more than enough to cover the cost of my passport, once again I cried. It gets even better though.
It’d been bothering me that I’ve got all these boxes of Bibles and the funds haven’t been coming in as I had hoped. The first part of the week I came across this website about an organization in Texas called ‘Daystar Adopt A Village’ that has a mission outreach in the Waterloo District of Freetown. They were seeking Bibles to take with them on their short-term mission trips that they take once a year. I emailed them and told them I had some Bibles I would like to send with them. They emailed me back very excited to hear from me and said they would love to take them. They are also going to send me the information about their short-term missions to Sierra Leone. Since this is where I feel the Lord wants me to go eventually I would like to take part in anything they have available.
Last Thursday (Sept 2) the Lord came through again when a woman from my church presented me with a check for $200 to ship some of the Bibles. So yesterday what was left of our boxes of Bibles was shipped to Texas for a total of $186. Isn’t that awesome!
This past Sunday was also pretty special. After service a gentleman in our congregation asked me to accompany him to the front of the church where he presented me with a guilt he had made to be auctioned off during our church garage sale to raise money for my mission trip to El Salvador.
In the midst of all that is happening in my family it is both comforting and humbling to know that God is right there with me, demanding my trust and faith that He will provide. Thank you Jesus for being my Lord and Savior!!!!
Sept 25th We held our church garage sale today and raised $595 towards the mission trip to El Salvador bringing total donations to $1095 PRAISE THE LORD!!! As Rose Marie stated Sunday, why did I ever doubt it.
The following Wednesday, my pastor where I go to church stopped by my work and visited with me. During the course of the visit she brought up the subject of El Salvador and said she wished there was some way I could have made the trip because it would have been a wonderful learning experience for me. After she left I continued to think about it, it was really lying heavy on my heart. So I spoke to the pastor that I work for and told him though I couldn’t go on this trip, I would like to go the next time they went. He suggested I not give up on this trip in January and to contact the coordinator of the trip and see if there was any possible way I can go. So I emailed the guy and told him my situation, that I could not get my passport by the 31st but that I was interested in joining them the following year.
Thursday came and I received no word. But that night I was reading a book by Joyce Meyer about how the Lord speaks to us and she said that sometimes God speaks and we don’t hear or that He speaks and we don’t understand, so He speaks through other people. I immediately thought of Pastor Ann and Pastor Gale. In my prayers to the Lord that night I told him my desire to go to El Salvador and asked if it was his will, to make it happen.
Friday morning when I got to work I sat down at the computer to check my email and I hesitated, I was actually scared to look, it was as if I knew I was going to get my answer. Sure enough there is was an email from the guy assuring me that it wasn’t too late, and an invitation to join the group. I immediately started crying. It was the most awesome experience I’ve had in my walk with God.
It wasn’t long till doubts began to set in though: How was I was going to come up with $1050 the amount needed to go on this trip. I didn’t even have the money to purchase my passport, which was $100.
Then Sunday morning I get to church and someone walks up to me and hands me an envelope, saying the Lord had spoken to them, and asked me to take the envelope and not tell anyone where it came from or how much it was. I stuck the envelope in my Bible and didn’t look inside until I got home. Inside was more than enough to cover the cost of my passport, once again I cried. It gets even better though.
It’d been bothering me that I’ve got all these boxes of Bibles and the funds haven’t been coming in as I had hoped. The first part of the week I came across this website about an organization in Texas called ‘Daystar Adopt A Village’ that has a mission outreach in the Waterloo District of Freetown. They were seeking Bibles to take with them on their short-term mission trips that they take once a year. I emailed them and told them I had some Bibles I would like to send with them. They emailed me back very excited to hear from me and said they would love to take them. They are also going to send me the information about their short-term missions to Sierra Leone. Since this is where I feel the Lord wants me to go eventually I would like to take part in anything they have available.
Last Thursday (Sept 2) the Lord came through again when a woman from my church presented me with a check for $200 to ship some of the Bibles. So yesterday what was left of our boxes of Bibles was shipped to Texas for a total of $186. Isn’t that awesome!
This past Sunday was also pretty special. After service a gentleman in our congregation asked me to accompany him to the front of the church where he presented me with a guilt he had made to be auctioned off during our church garage sale to raise money for my mission trip to El Salvador.
In the midst of all that is happening in my family it is both comforting and humbling to know that God is right there with me, demanding my trust and faith that He will provide. Thank you Jesus for being my Lord and Savior!!!!
Sept 25th We held our church garage sale today and raised $595 towards the mission trip to El Salvador bringing total donations to $1095 PRAISE THE LORD!!! As Rose Marie stated Sunday, why did I ever doubt it.
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