Bienvenidos

 Welcome!

And what a welcome it was. 

Our day started with a 7am breakfast, of egg sandwiches, potatoes and banana. 

Then we headed out on about a one hour drive into the community where we would meet our families. 

After driving "in" our vehicles for most of the trip, the last portion of our journey required us to get out of the trucks and van, and climb into the back, in order to cross a small river.  On the other side of the river were our families: they were all dressed up, the hair of the little girls were all done nice. Balloons, so many of them, were tied together lining the entry way. And the families?  Well they were there, cheering and waving as we crossed the river. Fireworks were going off. 

It was an incredibly generous and hospitable welcome!!

Together, we played silly games which mostly proved to show that all of us (or most of us) feel inhibited when we meet other people - but we all love to have fun and laugh. 

And then we ate some food which was prepared in abundance for us to enjoy.  It's an act of gratitude and reciprocity, for what they feel we are giving to them. 

Before leaving them for the day, we split up into our three build teams to meet the 6 or 7 families that we'll be building with this week. Simple introductions are made with big smiles, and even bigger sense of anticipation of what we all sense God will do with all of us, this week, and for time to come. 

In the afternoon, we took a short hike into an area with sulphur hot springs. Besides being mesmerized by the billowing clouds of steam, and bubbling sulphur streams, many of us also took the opportunity to get a little sulphuric mud treatment on our faces...I know...it sounds weird...it probably was...but it was also a lot of fun. 

Before leaving, with the backdrop of steam clouds rising into the shadow of the volcano, our translator Brandon, shared with us the importance of putting into practice the words of Jesus in John 13:34-35 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

He reminded us that we weren't here in El Salvador by accident or coincidence. God has chosen us to be here, to be with this team, to be with the Shelter Staff and with the families. Therefore, just as God has loved us so much to bring us here, then we ought to love one another - all others, knowing that as we do we grow stronger as disciples of Jesus. 

Monday, we begin building. 6 families will receive new homes. 

Thanks for journeying with us. 

Deve