Friends and Family,

I am writing to let you know how the Lord worked through my trip to El Salvador.   I want to extend a sincere thank you to all who prayed for me and my team, and to all who financially supported me.  Your partnership was invaluable to the success of this mission.  I must say that the trip was a success in many ways.  Praise the Lord!!

As you may remember, our mission was a work project to help in the construction of a Compassion International Student Center in El Salvador.  We did, indeed, work.  Some of our projects included hand hauling stacks of cinder blocks, buckets of sand and gravel, and dirt.  We mixed mortar and built cinder block walls.  We cut piles of re-bar.  The biggest project of all was the digging of a pit to pour a foundation for a concrete support pillar.  The dirt was hauled out of the pit bucket by bucket until the guys finally hit rock at 18 feet deep.  What a job!!  We were exhausted at the end of every day, but it was worth it.  Through God's strength, we worked along side the El Salvadorian people, finishing project after project regardless of the language barrier.

Two of the days we were there, my team was able to hold a two hour Bible School for the children.  My station was face painting, and we also had stations for soccer, a puppet show, singing, crafts, relay races and other activities.  It was such a blessing to interact with these kids and see how much joy they had in their hearts. We could plainly see that the Lord was at work in the Compassion program, teaching the children the love of God.

One of the days, a small group of us were taken on a visit to two homes where kids from the Compassion project lived.  Both lived in total poverty, making only $5 per day to live on.  Yet the power of the Lord was clear.  The first family did not attend church (though their kids DO participate in the program and are learning of Christ).  The desperation and hopelessness of the parents was heartbreaking.  The second family lived in the same dire circumstances, yet put their hope in Christ, and the light in their spirits was plain to see.  This second family trusted their circumstances to God and depended on Him daily.

I pray that the first family, along with the many others like them, will learn of the peace God can give through what their children learn and live through being a part of the Compassion program.  I am so thankful to know that my support of a Compassion child truly does make a difference.  I hope that you will pray, too, that the Lord will work through those children to reach their parents and their community.  God has answered our prayers in the past and He will continue to do so if we ask it for His honor and glory.

Pictures:

This is a group of musicians who were practicing in a back room.  Diane and I went in to listen.  Before long there was a whole jam session with people singing and clapping.

This is me with little Kiomara.  She is one of the children from the family we visited who does not attend church.  She and her two siblings are part of the Compassion project and are learning about Christ.

After a day of face painting with the little ones, we couldn't resist taking even more  pictures.

This is the front of the church / student center.  Many buildings an homes were surrounded with razor-wire for protection.

This is a street on the way to the church from where we were staying.  Those buildings are the typical home for much of the population in that area.  Many others don't even have it this good.