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

2024 November Team - We're All In This Together

 Finally!

All 25 of us are in the same place. 

It didn't happen during our 9 months of preparation. 

It didn't happen when we left the SEMC parking lot. 

It didn't happen when we picked up 10 of our team in Wyoming, ON. 

It didn't even happen when Granpa Greg met us at the airport in Toronto (who flew in from Thetis Island, BC yesterday). 

(And by the way, a huge thanks to our bus driver, Bailey, for getting us there on time, and altering her route to ensure that all went smoothly). 

Once we landed, we met with Deb and Chelsea, from Lethbridge, AB. 

All is well...even in the travel day we have seen the Lord answer prayers for healing, peace, perseverance and endurance. 

Thanks for joining us on the adventure of discovery and learning the Lord has in store for us. If you want to pray into our theme verses, asking for God to direct us according to His truth, then we would welcome this: Isaiah 58

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: 

Here am I."

Tomorrow, we start at 7am, and then we're off to meet 20 families, whom we will work with and play with, while 20 houses get built - celebrating the faithfulness of God. 

Grateful

When asked if I wanted to join the Sarnia ShelterHelps team in April, I didn't have to think twice. It was an immediate yes! Had I known of team member Tim's soon-to-be-famous expression of "Ya Baby!", that would have been an even better answer! This would be my 6th trip down to El Salvador to participate in building homes for the most impoverished in a community not far from our central base of San Vicente. 

Having had the privilege of being on a couple of previous trips with the Team Leader Pastor Deve Persad, one to the IJM Field Office in Manila, Philippines, and the other to the annual Leaders Week in El Salvador, it made my decision even easier, as I am inspired by his passion for the people of El Salvador and the thoughtful, heartfelt way he speaks words of truth and faith.

I could go on and on about the 'many magical moments' experienced over the week working alongside the 12 families who were receiving homes, as well as with an amazing group of Salvadorian construction workers, translators, drivers, and various other ShelterHelps staff. 'They' say it takes a village and this village is strong and very supportive of one another, humbly giving all the glory to Almighty God. 

I said I could go on and on and I can, butI won't, because I want to talk about the one word Leader Deve challenged us with coming up with for the week. My word was 'grateful'. This is always my word. Deve asked me to explain why I chose that word. To know me is to know I think too much and feel too deep. I wouldn't say I'm a cry-baby, but my heart makes my eyes leak. I cried with this word. 'Grateful' was (and is) my word for these reasons...

• I'm grateful to be blessed with just enough resources to be able to financially swing a trip to El Salvador. 
• I'm grateful that my husband understands my need to 'go and do' where my heart is leading me; in this case El Salvador again. 
• I'm grateful for how the Sarnia team welcomed a stranger (me) into their midst. 
• I'm grateful to once again see old friends I had made in San Vicente during my first year down to build homes and catch up with how they and their families are doing. 
• Most importantly, I'm (so) grateful to meet, hear stories from, and work alongside the families who are receiving a house. In one week, deep connections are made irrespective of language and culture differences. Showing God's love to each other with conversations through the help of a translator, a handshake, a high-five, or a hug is what matters most. 
• I'm (so) grateful knowing that their lives will be changed for the better and that the dreams they voice for their futures and for their children's futures are fueled with hope. 
• I'm grateful to see the smiles grow, the tears of joy flow, the excitement in their eyes, and the relief shown of a weight being lifted off their shoulders. You can see and feel their new postures - straighter, lighter, especially from the mothers, as they gaze at their new house. No longer do they need to worry about the rain coming in, the house collapsing, the rain making the floor a mud slick, the lack of security from an unlocked improvised door. They can now rest and relax from those stresses as the rainy season begins. 
• I'm grateful for being reminded time and time again that God is so good and that He is the ultimate provider of everything we need. 
• I'm grateful to again be humbled by the fact that one can (seemingly) have so little, and yet have so much in terms of faith, trust, and hope. 
• I'm grateful to share in the mutual understanding that we are all connected by our belief and faith in God and can share God's word together. 
• I'm grateful to come home with a deeper understanding of what it means to love thy neighbor, and to have been loved on by the people of El Salvador. 

Deb Firth