El Salvador Beach Project and Service Day at La Casa De Mi Padre

Wednesday - Beach Project

We went to Costa del Sol for our beach project.

This might be the sweetest village people that I have ever met. They reminded us all about the importance of family and friends. Family means something here. We were reminded of that throughout the day as we entertained the children while they waited patiently to see the doctors and dentists. Our team definitely had the sweetest job. We were able to witness the kind acts of the medical team, witness the family love of the community, witness God's amazing faithfulness to a people that have very little material means but Very HUGE hearts for the Lord.

One little boy asked us for another lollipop. We could not understand what he wanted and when we finally did, we gave him one. Nobody asked for seconds of anything for themselves. We gave out animal crackers and goldfish and lollipops while playing games and helping the children with art. Yet, one little boy was insistent on trying to make us understand that he needed one more lollipop. It was the same little boy that showed us God through his enthusiasm and smiles as he played football. His name was Carleta. As he walked away with his second lollipop I watched him. He walked very deliberately to an elder lady that was his grandmother and gave her the lollipop. Family here is everything.

The families of the village waited so patiently to register. While they were in line we handed out animal cookies and every age of every woman and man and child said thank you with a smile and were more grateful for the few cookies (which was lunch to many) than most of us are for an entire meal.

Bubbles, badminton, dodgeball, coloring, magnetic fishing and football were past-times that were rare in the lives of most of the children that came to see us. They were so excited to have someone to play with and even more excited to have their family watch and smile. Family is everything to a community like Costa del Sol. God is evident in their lives even for the ones that are not familiar with God. When we handed out stickers it was as if we were handing out Christmas. The children reminded us all of our many blessings. The children quickly became our favorite blessing from God for all they taught us.

Pedro is the man that allowed the medical team to use to his home. He helps the local boys get out of gangs and teaches them to fish so that they will have a way to make money. Pedro is Jesus in the skin to these young boys and he has opened his home to hundreds. It is always so overwhelming to see God work all around the world in so many different ways.

Thursday - La Casa De Mi Padre's Orphanage Work Project

Today the team cleaned up a room off the toddlers bedroom so that they would have a playroom. Everyone scraped, painted, reorganized, put new furniture together, folded hundreds of little clothes, cleaned toys and bathed the dog! The work itself is not the reason we were there. The work could have honestly been done better by the locals. The work brought us to La Casa and we are thankful for that. We saw how important the work at this orphanage is and how important it is to reflect and pray about the impact that it has had on all of us.

All of the team members have now shared their testimonies. God is so good on these trips to strengthen each other spiritually as we speak into each others lives. Two high school students and three college age students have taught me about coping, trials, passion, love, hope, humility, leadership, family, forgiveness, and teamwork. God brings the people that He calls to go and serve. Not because He needs any of us to paint or blow bubbles or organize toys at an orphanage, but because we need to draw closer to Him.

We are seed planters. Sometimes we travel to see God's purpose for us. Sometimes we travel for others. Sometimes we travel to see a smile on a child as he hands a lollipop to a grandmother. Sometimes we travel to paint so that we can meet a man that teaches us selfless sacrifice to gang members while looking out at God's amazing ocean. Sometimes we travel to get out of our comfort zone and tell our story so that God becomes the focus. Sometimes we travel and never know why God has us do so. But always we travel knowing that God's plans of connecting people are evident.

Today as I saw Abby and Ericka (the reasons that HEAL now partners with La Casa) I couldn't help but smile at how God has used two little girls this side of Heaven. Two little girls that probably would not have chosen the path they have been given. This side of Heaven, we won't know the full impact of God's plans or why we really do what we do. But, this side of Heaven, we will faithfully keep serving, praying and pursuing the orphans in distress as we are called to do.

Today the team had a day where we came away asking: How in the world can anyone see God's beautiful creation and doubt there is an amazing creator of all things? Even in the after effects of a volcano hundreds of years later, we see a beautiful Creator. It is easy to see God in the BIG things but it is not always easy to see God in the little things. Gary took us to see where La Casa started in Old Elsavador and to see a volcano. It was a beautiful experience and breathtaking - literally taking our breath away as we climbed the volcano to look down. Then we saw the most amazing tree God has ever created!

We then took a small group of the girls from La Casa Orphanage on a field trip to McDonalds to play and have ice cream. The team members live in a culture where children experience McDonalds as a weekly event. We didn't actually know that this small group of girls had never been to McDonalds to play and have ice cream until we were leaving and I asked. It was another small example of how we take so many things for granted.

At McDonalds, God showed up in the small things in El Salvador. Connor was sitting at a table with Carleta. She was showing him her animal bracelets that we handed out and she was enjoying the one on one time with him. Carleta just lost her dad last week. All the sudden this little thing seemed so HUGE because we serve such an awesome HUGE God that knew exactly what Carleta was going to need this week.

Tripp was sitting alone and just watching the girls play. Two of the girls were Abby and Ericka. As they ran and screamed loudly throughout the jungle gym, God showed up for Tripp at McDonalds to say that all is perfect in His plan for His children. Gabrielle was holding the hands of several girls. Ashlee and Shelby were running and screaming with the girls and playing. God showed up at McDonalds for the girls at La Casa. He loves us so much and we often forget to see Him in the little things.

All the girls were doing their homework at La Casa and when Abby finished she waited for Ericka to finish. She was looking after her little sister. Ericka was taking a little longer to do homework. Ericka finished and had some more reading to do and Abby quickly gathered Ericka's things and put them away for her so that she could go to McDonalds with us on a field trip. God shows up daily for the children at La Casa in the little things and He showed me in this sweet moment that His plans are better than ours and sometimes when we serve He is more evident in the small things if we open our hearts and eyes to His viewpoint.

Showing up and Being There

Sunday was a beautiful worship day in El Salvador. We were able to spend the afternoon playing with the kids from La Casa on the church grounds. They were so happy and full of energy. One of the little boys was so fun to watch dance. Entertaining us was definitely a bright spot in his day - but an even brighter spot in our day. Juan is a performer. His big smile stole our hearts as he danced to the beat of Michael Jackson by team members!

Monday:

Every now and then we get the opportunity to just show up and by being present we get a small glimpse of why God has us in the very moment that we are in. We look around and see God's beauty in all the children. Today, we assisted a medical team on the farm of La Casa. Families from the village came to see physicians, dentist, and pharmacists. Our job was to entertain the children while they were waiting to seek medical care.

In my own human weakness, I was frustrated that we were not able to share the VBS that we had prepared for the children of the village. It was too difficult with children coming in and out at different times. We were outside and sometimes 2 or 3 children were with us and other times it was 20 ish. We had to change the course of our plan. I am a planner. God showed me today that while we are supposed to plan and do things to the best of our ability - sometimes it is more important to just show up and be present for someone.

I looked around and this is what I discovered about our flexible team mates that couldn't carry out our plans. Connor was playing badmitton with a little boy that could barely see. He never hit the ball. Connor was so patient with him and I wonder if anyone ever takes the time to play with him. Shelby was blowing bubbles over and over with a little girl and patiently helping two little boys with the magnetic fish. Gabrielle was coloring with some little girls and talking with them while the little girls had nothing but smiles on their faces. Ashlee was finding cups to give all the children water because they had been waiting patiently and playing for hours. Tripp was kicking a ball with a little boy that acted as if he had never kicked a ball. Physicians and dentists were playing with the very poor village people.

We were supposed to just show up today. My prayer is that we never forget to show up and be there for God's people and He will show us what to do. Maybe we'll get to do the vbs, maybe we won't. But one thing is for sure - no matter where we go - God shows up and so should we!

El Salvador Spring Break Mission Trip

We are a small team but serve a large God and already feel blessed for being here. In 24 hours, we have developed a deep passion for La Casa De Mi Padre - My Fathers House - an incredible orphanage in San Salvador. We visited the farm where they one day hope to have 8 family model homes with 8 children in each home. There, they will grow up as every child should: under the roof of a set of loving parents.

The children get to go to the farm on Saturdays and ride a horse. Whitney is a certified horse therapist and it has remarkable for them to see the changes in the children emotionally. They learn trust, confidence and learn to overcome fear and many obstacles. There is an autistic child that was screaming and crying and when he was placed on the horse he calmed down and started singing. It is a great program that we were thrilled to witness first hand. Not only did we get to witness it, but we were allowed a little glimpse of God's faithfulness and favor by watching Abby and Ericka ride the two horses together.

Abby and Ericka are sisters. They are now 8 and almost 10 years of age. I learned about them when they were just 2 and 4 years old and started a process of trying to adopt them. After going through the legal steps, we learned that the birth mother would not sign over the rights and later had problems and could not take care of the girls. They will remain in the program at La Casa. Trey and Tripp and I were crushed and hurt. We could not figure why God closed the doors at the time.

Abby and Ericka are part of the reasons that HEAL Ministries began. They are a perfect example of the quote that we give: There are 145 million orphans in the world and only about 250,000 children are adopted each year. The statistics are alarming and overwhelming. Most orphans will never be adopted. Who takes care of them? God called me to a harder place. We learned that we were not supposed to take care of the two beautiful little girls that we fell in love with. We were supposed to send teams to care for hundreds. God used Abby and Ericka to develop a deep passion for the unadopted. While adoption is most often the best solution, there are times that God reveals it is not always what He wants. Abby and Ericka are where they are supposed to be. We want to partner with La Casa and assists them with their vision of providing a home for Abby and Ericka and all the children there. Family Model homes. Not my home but a home where they will grow up and be loved and raised by loving house parents and still be able to visit their family.

Trey and I met Abby and Ericka two years ago. Tripp met them today for the first time. It was an emotional experience for all of us that will forever change us. God has placed a deep passion in our hearts for the children that cannot be adopted but has also taught us to dig deeper and love the family of the orphan.

La Casa helps to restore the family. They are exemplifying Christ in every way. Many of us would choose to abandon the family of the orphan and yet doing that is exactly the opposite of what God teaches us in His word. To care for the heartbroken, to help those that cannot help themselves, to defend the defenseless, to help the thirsty and hungry. La Casa has figured it out. They are restoring the family and helping a nation understand redemption. Abby and Ericka get to see their mother a couple of times a month and La Casa is working with her.

We met an 8 year old boy that will be reunited with his mother this year. He was living on top of a trash dump a few years ago with his mother. La Casa took the child in and started teaching the mother how to live. They built a home for her and assisted her in starting a cooking business. She was so uneducated that the day they gave her the key to her house, she did not know what the key was for. They had to show her how to unlock her door. She thought that the oven was a bird cage. Now, she keeps her house and cooks for others. She has been trained in how to take care of her child and they get to see each other often. Instead of taking the child away and abandoning the mother, La Casa took the time to do the right thing. They reached out to the mother and now the most beautiful example of restoration happens. What a beautiful example as mother and child have learned about Christ together because of La Casa.

The 30 plus acres La Casa bought is beautiful. There will be 8 family model homes, an administrative office building, missionary housing, a guest house for teams, school, playgrounds, sports complex, etc. We saw the large retaining wall where steps and decks are being built that will lead the soccer players to the pavilion, housing and playgrounds. The chapel was the first building and it is beautiful. Our team had the privilege of praying together with Gary Powell, the orphanage director, for the entire orphanage, grounds and God's plans. We are excited about our week. Already, the team members have taken the time to build relationships with the kids and play games, color, kickball, soccer and just talk and laugh. Well, talking is sometimes hard - but they love that we try to speak their beautiful language.

In typical El Salvadorian tradition, we were invited to Gary and Sharon's home. They live in the parsonage at the church where Gary is the pastor. We had real tacos! Not fast food tacos - really great tacos for dinner! Tomorrow we are looking forward to attending church there where the La Casa children will join us and have an afternoon of playing games on the church property.

Tonight, I sleep a little easier knowing that there really are orphanages that are making a difference. I'm thrilled that Abby and Ericka took over my heart a few years ago and even more thrilled that they are healthy and happy. They know their heavenly Father. I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve and to know that God's plan is always better than mine.