Everyone Likes A Good Horse Story....Right?

On Wednesday we had our last interview for the week. We were introduced to Juan and Vilma. A couple that had three girls and another on the way. Juan was orphaned at two years of age. His parents were killed by the gangs. He didn't share details of  how his life was growing up, except that it was very difficult. He wanted to share with us that he was a very hard worker and he worked very hard to care for his wife and girls.  He wakes up at three in the morning and milks 56 cows by hand every day. He was wanting to make sure he had enough money to care for his growing family so he got another job farming. Juan also wanted us to know about his hobby. He loved to ride and train horses. He owned five, each one had been named. He wanted to make sure we knew that he treated them kindly, also that a horse could be your companion. I was a little excited to hear this, I didn't expect to hear that someone here in El Salvador had the same horse philosophy as me. It seems to me that from observation over the years, animals here are either a source of income, a useful tool or just a nuisance. So I was pleasantly surprised that he viewed his horses as a source of pleasure.

From previous trips to El Salvador, I have noticed their horses here and have had questions about their care and how it would be different from how I care for mine at home. I was able to ask him some of the questions I had been curious about. He was interested in what our hobbies were as well and asked each of us to share ours.

It was nice to see this couple not just surviving but enjoying some pleasures in life.We haven't seen much of that in the past, I don't know if that is just something unique to this couple or this village or if hope is spreading and the people here are discovering some of their passions. I like to believe the later.

Karen

Thursday's Lunch

There is much more to write about Thursday's visit to the small city of Victoria in the North East corner of El Salvador. For now, here's a view from our lunch spot, where we looked out on the Rio Lempa and across into the mountain ranges of Honduras. The breath-taking beauty is inspiring; a reminder that echoes the words of the Psalmist, "O Lord, Our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!...When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers..." (Psalm 8).

Young And Beautiful

While this is the name of a recent popular song it got new meaning for me this week. One of the families we were building for is a 19 year old father (Rulbert), a 17 year old mother (Veronica), and their 1 year old daughter.  Amazingly they were one of the highlights for me as they sat with smiles and gratitude describing:  How he had been working the farms since he was 9 when his grandfather had died and he had become the man of the house and how his Uncles who inherited the land had said he could use a small plot. How they had met when he visited her village and started talking while she was she was working doing laundry and cleaning homes (she would have been 14). How they had become friends, then dated, and finally become partners.  How his farm was 45min walk away so he leaves every day at 5am to work and she walks over later with her daughter to bring him lunch.   Through the entire discussion you could see and feel the Love this couple had for each other.  Then when asked about dreams for their daughter their answer was "we want her to always be happy and to put God first in her life".   That is when I realized this couple truly was Young and Beautiful.   May God bless them in their new home.  

Pat