Lots and Lots of Kids

On Tuesday morning, Abby and I saw lots of kids near the property we were building on, so half way through the build we went over to them. Our interpreter introduced us to the kids and then they noticed we had a bag of supplies for crafts, colouring books, and elastics for bracelets etc. There were about 10-15 kids there at one point and Abby started to braid some of the girls’ hair and I started to make bracelets with them. 

Then it was time for lunch and we had to say goodbye to them, and some of them were very sad because they didn’t get a bracelet or their hair braided. But thankfully, right after lunch we went back to the same location to build another house right next to it (5 houses ended up being built in that location this week) 

The whole time we were building the house, the kids were sitting in chairs in the shade watching, and smiling at us. So when Abby and I went over and got out our toys, they happily grabbed two chairs for us, put them in the shade and got ready for us to braid their hair and make them bracelets. But once again, we had to say goodbye to our new friends, but little did we know that we would be building a house just up the path from their houses just the next day. 

On Wednesday, we were almost done the house and Abby and I decided to go and make them more bracelets and braid more hair! As we were heading down the path towards their houses, they were at the end of the path with paper airplanes, and as we approached them, they all came up to us and said Hola (hello) and each of them gave both of us a hug! We ended up sitting in the shade and braiding more hair and making more bracelets! 

Throughout those two days the kids were always smiling and laughing, and they had so much joy with them every time we saw them! It was such a great experience and opportunity to be around those kids and trying to make conversation despite the language barrier! I hope and pray that God blesses their families in their new houses!

Ansley

The Immeasurable Love of Jesus

 This is my second trip to El Salvador. It is also the second time I have found it very difficult to write a blog post. This will surprise all of those who know me, as words usually come easily (sometimes too easily) for me. But the experiences and emotions of this trip somehow go beyond what I am able to describe. The words I choose don’t seem to fully capture the things that are most meaningful. 

To say I feel blessed to get to take this journey with my husband and two oldest children is an understatement. Watching their passion to help others. Watching my children’s joy in building connections with locals. Listening to their stories of the people they met. All of this fills me with a gratitude that is indescribable. 

Words also can’t explain the feeling I had

yesterday when building our fourth house this week. The mother, Rosa, sat with me, held my hand, and told me that she had prayed three years ago for a house, and that we were the answer to that prayer. She told us her story, shared her faith, and told us she will pray blessings for us, our children, and our children’s children every day for the rest of her life. We cried together, prayed together, and talked about our families. Yes, I felt joy, compassion, love, and so many other emotions. But what I really felt goes beyond that. The best I could describe it is that I felt like I saw Jesus in Rosa that moment. Her deep faith, gratitude, and openness made me feel overwhelmed with love. As Chelsea so beautifully expressed in our morning meeting, sometimes we get caught up in the thought that we are going to show God’s love to the people we are building for, but they can also be the hands and feet of Jesus towards us. Rosa expressed Jesus’s love to me yesterday in a way that transcends the words that usually come so easily to me.  

I will forever be grateful for these moments and what they have taught me about myself, my family, and the immeasurable love of Jesus. 

This is my second trip to El Salvador. It is also the second time I have found it very difficult to write a blog post. This will surprise all of those who know me, as words usually come easily (sometimes too easily) for me. But the experiences and emotions of this trip somehow go beyond what I am able to describe. The words I choose don’t seem to fully capture the things that are most meaningful. 

To say I feel blessed to get to take this journey with my husband and two oldest children is an understatement. Watching their passion to help others. Watching my children’s joy in building connections with locals. Listening to their stories of the people they met. All of this fills me with a gratitude that is indescribable. 

Words also can’t explain the feeling I had yesterday when building our fourth house this week. The mother, Rosa, sat with me, held my hand, and told me that she had prayed three years ago for a house, and that we were the answer to that prayer. She told us her story, shared her faith, and told us she will pray blessings for us, our children, and our children’s children every day for the rest of her life. We cried together, prayed together, and talked about our families. Yes, I felt joy, compassion, love, and so many other emotions. But what I really felt goes beyond that. The best I could describe it is that I felt like I saw Jesus in Rosa that moment. Her deep faith, gratitude, and openness made me feel overwhelmed with love. As Chelsea so beautifully expressed in our morning meeting, sometimes we get caught up in the thought that we are going to show God’s love to the people we are building for, but they can also be the hands and feet of Jesus towards us. Rosa expressed Jesus’s love to me yesterday in a way that transcends the words that usually come so easily to me.  

I will forever be grateful for these moments and what they have taught me about myself, my family, and the immeasurable love of Jesus. 

Tara