My One Thing (kind of)

The week is over, it was filled with laughter, smiles, tears and a lot of hand gestures. At debrief we had to come up with one thing that we really liked, enjoyed, or inspired us. It could be a person, conversation, or a moment. I struggled to come up with just one thing. There were just so many fun and fulfilling moments.

 The first day we were building at the site the kids at the start were very shy and were kind of scared. We were the first team to ever build in the community so they didn’t know what was really going on. We got out colouring and stickers. I sat beside a little boy and with my amazing hand gestures I asked him if he wanted to colour. He shook his head. So I started colouring the page by myself. I could see he was fascinated by it and wanted to do it. He was just a little nervous. Fast forward about 10 minutes and there were 5 kids all colouring. They were laughing and smiling as taijah and I put stickers on them. As all good things have to come to an end the day was over. So we packed up everything and waited for the truck. The next day we pulled up into the community. Instantly the kids were smiling and laughing. That right there was what i really liked. This moment filled my heart with joy to see the kids glowing with excitement and happiness.

-Shailah 

I Can’t

As the week has come to an end I have compiled a list of all the things I’ve been told not to do during my time in El Salvador, some people see them as big no no’s. I see them as mere suggestions (I actually do listen to and respect the actual big no no’s just putting that out there) 

I can’t drink the water from the community 

I can’t eat the food from the community 

I can’t flush my toilet paper 

I can’t say no to accepting food that I also can’t eat because it will offend someone 

I can’t climb the trees because it’s “dangerous” 

I can’t get a good wifi connection 

I can’t ask the police to hold their guns 

I can’t go to the bathroom alone 

I can’t go anywhere alone 

I can’t leave the hotel at night or in the morning unless we all are

I can’t understand people I’m working beside 

I can’t speak Spanish 

I can’t hold back tears when hearing an emotional story 

I can’t hold back laughter 

I can’t get away from the sun 

I can’t keep up with the locals on the builds at all 

I can’t not sweat through my shirts 

I can’t always find the right words to say 

So there’s a list of some things I can’t do on this trip but here’s what I can do 

I can show up 

I can wake up 5 minutes before breakfast and still beat some people there maybe not Jason but some people

I can step out of my comfort zone 

I can bless others because I have been blessed

I can encourage people 

I can pray for someone 

I can be the hands and feet of Jesus 

I can come to El Salvador and be proof that God has not forgotten these people, to pray over them and work alongside them (at a much slower pace) and build a relationship with them blessing them with a house but more importantly letting them know that there is a church family that has been supporting our team to be in the beautiful country and has been praying for them. 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me 

I want to thank everyone who has supported me and this team, I thank you for your prayers and I ask that you continue to pray for the families we built for. If you have never been to El Salvador and have the opportunity or ability and think that you can’t go because you aren’t young enough or strong enough or whatever your reason is, I strongly encourage you to forget those reasons and go because I guarantee it will open your eyes to what you can do through our all mighty God. 

-Quinn 

Delmy

I have been wondering what to blog about all week. The first story that comes to mind and has stuck with me all week is Delmy’s story. She was brave enough to share her pain, her fears and her uncertain future with us. I admire her authentic openness no matter the cost. This was our first time meeting these people and a first for this village. I think from past experiences here that they are told to give us the best example and impression of the El Salvadian people and culture. So for her to share her story with honesty and emotion was precious to me.

Delmy giving thanks on behalf of a group of families, at the key ceremony. 

We first heard she was a single mom with one child but as we were doing the introductions there was a very cute little girl with soft brown eyes sitting beside us.  She interrupted and said (through translation) that she was going to the United States tomorrow.

We all kind of smiled and the home owner went on to tell us her father went to the USA last year but didn’t make it stayed in Mexico and started a new family. The Mother also left when she found out he was not coming back so their 3 children are orphans being raised by their grandmother. Her beautiful eyes then began to tear up and she told us her husband had left for the USA the day before while we were meeting the families.  She expressed how fearful she was that he may do the same as the other man, or die trying to get there or hurt or killed. She was afraid she may never see him again. Her pain was so clear but yet so was her strength. How beautiful she was sharing so openly and honestly.  We were able to share the hope of Jesus with her how it was not a coincidence that her husband left yesterday and today she will have a house. That God is taking care of her He had not forgotten her and he loves her dearly.  I will never forget her.  Her authentic honesty and courage to share her pain was heartbreaking, beautiful and inspiring all at the same time.

-Karen

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

“Between a rock and a hard place”. It’s an English language idiom. A turn of phrase that means that someone is caught in between two difficult choices or circumstances.
For the last several years, I’ve asked our team members to sum up their week with one word. I’ll be doing the same today. This word provides a way for us to filter our thoughts and impressions of the trip in a succinct way for the purpose of engaging the “how was it?” questions that we face.

My word will be: “hard”

This week has been great overall. But it has also been hard:
⁃ it was hard for our teams to be unexpectedly and unintentionally working over an hour apart on two different days.
⁃ It always hard to work in outdoor conditions of over 40 degrees.

really large boulder that needed to be removed

⁃ It was hard for some to walk up or down mountain passes  or across unknown fields to your next site.
⁃ It was often hard to dig through sticking dense clay only to find big rocks, and bigger boulders.
⁃ It always hard to step out of your comforts in order to immerse and engage.
⁃ It’s sometimes hard to submit your preferences for the good of the team and the Kingdom mission.

And after 20+ visits and 6 days of this trip, participating in what God is doing, you’d think things would get easier. But it’s still hard:

⁃ it’s hard to see the difficult circumstances that some people face, knowing that our cultural proverb: “ if you work hard enough you’ll be successful”, doesn’t translate to those who work intensely hard for a meal, a roof and a handful of clothes.
⁃ It’s hard to hear some of the stories of hurt, fear and abandonments and remain unchanged.
⁃ It’s hard to ignore the eager desire to work toward a new trajectory for life and be unmotivated in my own.
⁃ It’s hard to miss the opportunity God has given us to speak words of life into a small community and not be humbled by His enablement, and hare to believe the way we are blessed through these God appointed interactions.
⁃ It’s hard to understand that having our some of comforts, fears and emotions exposed reveals places in our lives that the Lord still wants to pour His grace into.

The Shelter team of drivers

⁃ It’s hard to believe that God could use us, knowing all our faults, insecurities and weaknesses, and extend His Kingdom through us.
⁃ It’s hard to conceive that every prayer and every small dollar donated could make such a significant difference in the lives of Salvadorans and Canadians.
⁃ It’s hard to leave, not knowing what will become of these 14 families or this community, yet trusting that Gods good work will be completed.
⁃ It’s hard to leave, our growing and vibrant Shelter family, who give and serve with increasing excellence, to the glory of God. So as we go we encourage, recommission and commit to prayer their ongoing efforts with these and other families in El Salvador.

At the end of Jesus’ most famous sermon, recorded in Matthew 7, he talks about being in a hard place, where rains come down and waters rise. He also talks about a rock, a firm foundation forged through faithfully listening to and responding to Gods truth.



Between a rock and hard place, Jesus says, a home can be built. Between the rock of faithfulness and the hard places of life, struggle and circumstance, safety can be found. We live in the now and not yet of the Unfolding Kingdom of God, between a rock and a hard place where 14 families and 14 Canadians are finding shelter in Jesus.

We were reminded in one of this week’s devotions, Psalm 9:9 (the Message):

“God’s a safe-house for the battered,
    a sanctuary during bad times.
The moment you arrive, you relax;
    you’re never sorry you knocked”

Welcome in, to a world between the rock and the hard place, where Jesus is at work and is inviting us to follow. The choice is ours to make.

-Deve

Dennis

This is my second trip to El Salvador and I’m yet again speechless of how amazing God is. I’m going to share a story that is rare to hear in El Salvador. It’s about a husband who truly loves his wife. We don’t often hear stories of men staying around. Actually most of them are  about a young woman that has multiple children and has been left by a man. But I found this story so inspiring that there are still faithful men out there. So I’m going to share his story.

Dennis is 20 years old man and has a 4 year old daughter and a wife. When he found out he was going to get a house he was thrilled but then the realization sunk in. Where are we going to build this house because we live on the side of a mountain. The thought of clearing the land to make a spot for a house almost seemed impossible. But Dennis never gave up. He had to make a flat spot but there were many large rocks and I mean very large rocks in his way. He dug out the side of the hill to help level his land. He moved rocks to form a big square around the spot that the house will be. So that it would be able to hold dirt in. He had to dig all the big rocks out before putting dirt into to make sure it was all level. Dennis would wake up at 6:00am and work till 9:00pm for a whole month.   The best part about Dennis’s story was during our interview he said I’ve seen and heard many stories of men leaving their wives and the hurt it’s brought. I’m not going to leave my beautiful wife and my beautiful daughter.
Dennis had to work so hard to be able to get a house to keep his girls safe. His story stuck out to me because no matter how much work it is or how hard things can get sometimes. It’ll all be worth it one day.
-Taijah