Candy Man

The crowd that forms when you bring out a handful (or more like 65 handfuls) of colourful elastic bands is amazing! It looks something like this...mostly barefoot, dirty little hands with sneaky little grins and giant big brown eyes and with lips that move a mile a minute for the shear excitement of making an elastic band bracelet, chaotic but oh so fun! The houses were going up so quickly that it made for lots of time to play with the kids.  No surprises, that's where I like to be the best.  I only had to teach a handful of kids before they were turning around to teach each other. I watched them huddled, big kids helping little kids, everyone being sure they all had enough to make one or two or three....bracelets.
If I could have frozen one moment for a little longer today it would be that of the guy we call the candy man. He does have a real name, but we call him the candy man because he sells candy to make money to provide for his little family. He is only about 24 years old with a wife and two small children and had a home built by the team. Today he scooped up his small son and asked for a picture to be taken...not a posed picture, but a picture of him tickling his son and hugging him with the deepest love and affection. He was so full of joy that it filled me up as well.

Leisha

Another great day

Wow, where to start?  We were challenged today with hard ground but blessed with many more children enjoying crafts with us. The women being allowed to cook with them. Of course as only God can the tough ground turned to as blessing as we only pushed to finish two home leaving time for a soccer match where the language barrier disappeared and an exchange of friendship and love flowed.  Tired from the day but feeling very good from a day of sharing the love of God.



Pat

Life in El Salvador

Well I can say that after a few days in El Salvador I have been truly humbled, this is great because I believe this is something had been placing on my heart. The people in the village that we are building with have so much talent, the heat does not seem to faze them and they are able to work effectively at fast pace.

Seeing how people can maximize so much with so little is amazing. It is difficult seeing the poverty on that they live with, but the smiles on their faces and their sincerity of their actions has already had a profound impact on me. It was something that I needed to see to truly get an appreciation of how others in the world live and I know that I am blessed to be able to experience this.

I always knew that we are equal, we are all sinners that Jesus had died for. Now that I have met these wonderful people in El Salvador, I will always have these images and experiences to draw back on. My prayer, and I ask that others also pray for is that God continues to have a noticeable presence in this community, that the work that we are doing and the work that the permanent missionaries continue to do after we are gone allows many more people here to give their lives to Jesus.

I am still getting used to the food here, but if that is my biggest worry I can deal with that…...

Thanks for the prayers and this wonderful opportunity.

Scott

When I Look...

Do you remember that old chorus:

When I look into Your Holiness
When I gaze into your loveliness
When all things that surround become shadows in the light of You

When I've found the joy of reaching your heart
When my will becomes enthroned in your love
When all things that surround become shadows in the light of you

I worship you
I worship you
The reason I live is to worship you.

I have always loved the tune of this song, something about the chord structure. but it has been in my mind again this week as I share live with these folks in El Salvador. Oh that the things I see (or smell) would become mere shadows in the light of God's holiness and His great love for these families. He sees them as He sees me - someone worth dying for.

We are praying that our new friends will find their way to the heart of Jesus and worship Him along with us for all eternity.

Amanda.

It's Not About the Houses

"We" built four houses yesterday, with time to spare before dark - seems like an amazing feat! Wow!  I have been hearing from various sources that there was a team from Calgary here last week that built nearly 8 houses in one day - double wow!....Anyway, I think that if our team did not lift a single tool, the four houses could in fact still have been built by the very capable experts that are here. Hmmm...kind of begs the question then.. "Why are we here?"....and for me..."Why am I here?" I asked myself that question quite pointedly after I failed miserably at offering any substantial assistance putting together a roof yesterday...well I am still not sure exactly what the answer is, and may never be privy to the answer during my time on this Earth, but I know that it's not about the houses and that God has a wonderful and unique chosen purpose for each of us here - and that is so much more amazing than building any number of houses - and it gives me amazing peace, joy, and satisfaction...I am going to be late for breakfast so I have to run!  Thank you for your continued prayers!

Matt