El Salvador 2013

El Salvador Day 1, June 28, 2013 Friday

Worked a half day and then met at my parent’s house. Christina and Dan were there to see us off and we discovered we had too much luggage to make it in one car.  So we caravanned to Chattanooga.  Della, Leanna, Leah, and I stayed with the Curtis family and Mom and Clifton stayed with the Bible family. At the Curtis house we helped with preparations for VBS. We had to fill in large letters so I completed the “i” first and exclaimed “look i finished first!”.

El Salvador Day 2, June 29, 2013 Saturday

We woke up at 4:30 AM and headed for the Chattanooga Airport. I got to eat one of the muffins that Sonya Bible cooked everyone. The plane from Chattanooga to Atlanta was crowded so they ask us to check our carry on bags. I am pretty sure they just said thank you and chunked it out the door because apparently the plane took off without them… In Atlanta we met another team that was on their way to El Salvador as well. The plane left on time headed for San Salvador and Leanna took my window seat since it was her first time to get to sit at one. I made an origami bee while traveling. We arrived in San Salvador at 11:45 AM. We found out that the Pirir family had to be detained in the San Salvador airport due to expired passports. This caused a lot of trouble and received a lot of prayer. The remaining members of our group proceeded to Pollo Campero for lunch and I got flan for desert. We arrived at the hotel at 6:15 PM.

Leah, Leanna, Della at the hotel

From there we walked to the church and had dinner there. After we finished eating a man named Carlos that had graduated from Baxter with Hector gave an inspiring speech about how excited and thankful he was that we were all there. After dinner Osvaldo said that he would like to have someone preach tomorrow and Chris volunteered but he had another commitment so I took it.

El Salvador Day 3, June 30, 2013 Sunday

At breakfast we met a group from the US that were staying at the hotel and working for Habitat for Humanity. I borrowed a shirt and tie from Hector and pants from Brian Curtis to preach in. Mom, Clifton, Della and I left for Ahuachapan. There were about 100 people that met together and we got to shake everyone’s hand. I spoke on Matthew 6:19-21. Fernando was there so Della got to see him for the first time in two years. After that we headed back to the hotel to get everyone together for lunch in Ataco. We ate at an amazing pizza place in the middle of town. Ataco had beautiful graffiti on the walls and interesting shops. After lunch we walked back to the church and Mark. Then we went and picked up some cloths because our bags had still not yet arrived. I apparently bought the most uncomfortable pair of underwear I have ever worn.  We then got dinner to go and rode the bus back to the hotel. About 8:45 PM we arrived at the hotel and a group from jea which is the initials for Youth In Action in Spanish made a special presentation. Herson and Franklin were in the group!! We caught up a bit, Franklin said he was on his last semester and was interviewing for a job this week. Herson said he was teaching English at the academy. I bought 3 shirts from them so I would have something clean to wear. 

Hotel near Ataco

Painted Streets of Ataco

Me and Osvaldo under the vine

Della, Me, Hector, Mom, and Clifton

El Salvador Day 4, July 1, 2013 Monday

I reviewed the book of Romans to help get prepared for door knocking. The entire group walked to the school for the VBS from the hotel. We formed teams to hand out invitations. I teamed with Carlos, Clifton with Fernando, Della with Wendy, and Mom got Noé Carlos and I talked with a 72 year old who was animated and clearly expressed how she did not like the church. After that we went to a house that had a dirt floor and we knelt down and prayed with the older lady that lived there. Then we went to a house where two young ladies lived and we studied over a lot of Romans. Clifton declared with enthusiasm he must learn Spanish because he was so frustrated by the language barrier. For lunch we had chicken stew. After lunch we tried to do more door knocking but the rain held us back. While we waited for the rain to slack off the ladies of the church made us coffee and cookies and served them to the military that were escorting us. I also made origami with Noé and Carlos. Finally the rain stopped and Carlos and I went and had a bible study with a man named Hector. Then we met a man named Emanuel who was not a Christian but his brother was and was very active in the church. The night time worship was at the school where the VBS had been earlier. We gave out at least 20 bibles to people who said they had none. Then we walked back to the church building for dinner and the military ate with us. We made it to bed at 9:40 PM.

VBS at the school

Clifton and Mom

Della and Me

Della, Mom, and one of our escorts

Leah and Leanna

Cat and Fernando

El Salvador Day 5, July 2, 2013 Tuesday

Today we had French toast for breakfast! I finished reviewing Romans and then we walked to the school. From there I went door knocking with Osvaldo.  While we were out we met a man named Antonio who had carved an amazing brahma bull. I asked him what else he could make and he said he could probably make anything. So I said how about a Tarantula and he said he needed a picture. We handed out some more invitations and then it was time for lunch back at the church. After lunch it rained again but it stopped around 1:00 PM and we were able to start delivering food. We had enough food to feed 50 families for 3 days. After carrying the food and getting soaked in the rain we headed back for the school. On the way we bought doughnuts that tasted fantastic. Then Carlos, Della and I delivered the last bag to the lady who we prayed with yesterday that had the dirt floor. She said she wasn’t feeling well today and she showed us a wound on her leg. We prayed with her some more and then went to the school. As we walked back Carlos got on to me for not holding Della’s arm and helping her down the steep slippery hill. We got back to the school at 5:00 PM and the teacher Roberto showed me a modular origami swan that he had made. It was amazing and I showed him my origami books. He immediately started asking “how much would I sell them for?”, so I got Della to explain that I needed to keep them for one more day so I could make a dinosaur for Noé and Osvaldo's kids and then I would give it to him for free. It was fun to see how excited he was about origami. I made a Spinosarus with Franklin and it turned out to be very challenging for him being that it was his first time to try origami. After the evening worship Emanuel and his son announced that they wanted to be baptized. We all piled on the bus and rode to Ataco where there was a kid pool. After dinner I got my luggage back!!!!!! Only took 4 days! I am so glad I have my comfortable underwear back! We got to bed at 10:35 PM.

Brahma Bull carved by Antonio

Antonio and his carved Eagle

Emanuel being baptized

Teacher Roberto

Wendy and Della

Fernando and Clifton

El Salvador Day 6, July 3, 2013 Wednesday

I finished the origami dinosaurs during breakfast and Della drew some views of a tarantula.  On the way to the bus I thought I had dropped a dinosaur so I went back frantically looking for it. I couldn’t find it so when I got back to the bus I told everyone that it had been “raptered”. Later I found that it was in my origami book all along. We rode the bus to the school of Ataco where the VBS is going to be for the next two days. There were about 700 kids for morning and 700 different kids for the afternoon. While we were waiting to go door knocking the Pirir family finally joined up with us at 9:00 AM! They had had to stay in Guatemala while they waited for their passports to arrive. I then went out with Osvaldo and we studied with Eduardo about Jesus’s sacrifice and then we studied with his neighbor Eric. We then gave out more invitations and then went to the House Of Coffee. It was beautiful and I got a nice ice tea and a frozen frappuccino for Della.  We then had lemon chicken for lunch with ice cream for dessert. Then Osvaldo and I went door knocking again. After giving out lots of invitations we had a study with Mormon and we tried to explain to him how Jesus is the son of God. Then we met back up with Clifton and he had found a girl in the park that he claimed had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He had told this to Della and so Della went right up and told her. Turns out the girl had contacts in and Clifton felt so shocked that he told the story to everyone he saw. Then I went with Samuel and Osvaldo to see Antonio about tarantula. Antonio was not there but the school teacher was, so I was able to give him the origami books. I told him I hoped to see that he had tried to make a few when I return and he ask when that would be and he said he would have made them all by then! The night worship was in the town center next to the park of Ataco. There I got to see Alejandro. During dinner Emanuel patiently tried to speak to me but the language barrier was too much… I can’t wait till I have time to dedicate to learning Spanish.  

Noé

Loom at the school

The House Of Coffee

VBS at School in Ataco

Fernando, Wendy, Della, Clifton, Samuel 

Della's drawing of a tarantula

Clifton and the girl with beautiful eyes

Cool tree in Ataco park

El Salvador Day 7, July 4, 2013 Thursday

Omelets for breakfast! We got to the school in Ataco at 8:40 AM and Osvaldo and I went door knocking. We studied with a Jehovah’s Witness listing off all the versus where the bible speaks of Jesus taking us away from the earth to heaven and how it was open for anyone who was willing to enter the covenant. The scriptures we studied were John 14, Philippians 3:20, and 2 Peter 3:10 and some in 2^nd Thessalonians.  Then we went to another Jehovah’s Witness and studied over the Luke 16:19-31. Then Osvaldo and I walked up a trail to a cross that overlooked the city. There I met a man named Patrick who was from Switzerland and had been traveling all across South America for the past 10 months. I invited him to eat lunch with us and I shared Luke 18:18 with him and he had had some bad experiences in the church so I shared Acts 2:42 and said that was our model. After he ate lunch with us I gave him a bible and my email address. The bible was big and he was carrying everything in his backpack so he said he didn’t know how far he would take it. Then we walked to the House of Coffee and I got a frozen watermelon drink. After that we delivered food for the rest of the afternoon. Once the food was all delivered Franklin, Della, and I went for a bible study. The language barrier was particularly difficult and I found it hard to determine which scriptures we needed to be focusing on. Then Osvaldo and I left at 4:20 PM to meet up with Antonio. He was not at his shop so we met him at his house. We went into great detail about how the carving should be and he said it would take him 3 days to make it. Then we drove back to the church for evening worship at the town center in Ataco and we gave out sandals and bibles. After the worship was over we walked back to the church. There all our El Salvadorian family threw us a surprise amazing fourth of July party! It was the big good bye night and we gave food to the cooks, the bus driver, and the military. Carlos gave a speech and finally couldn’t hold back the tears. Clifton delivered an amazing lesson on his relationship with Lindsey Tyler. After that we got to bed around 10:15 PM.

VBS at School in Ataco

View of Ataco

Fernando, Della, Me, Franklin, Wendy

4th of July Party

Hector Cotrez about to cut the cake

Clifton holding a turtle

Warner the preacher at Ciudad Real and Mom

Patrick

El Salvador Day 8, July 5, 2013 Friday

Today we went to the beach. The waves were strong and so was the current. I went out waist deep with Clifton and Kendall and the life guard called us back in because of all the debris the tide was bringing in. I played Carcassonne with Mom, Clifton, and Kendall. Mom won with the farmers in the end. Then I played The Boss with Clifton and Leah from Chattanooga. After lots of work and getting my shoes soaking wet I managed to get a kite up in the air. After the beach we went by a mall for a few minutes then to a pizza place in Ahuachapan. I got to play No Thanks with Eva, Franklin, Clifton, and Samuel. Then we rode back to the hotel and I delivered the final devotional on Luke 8:16. Many people said their good byes and Osvaldo gave an inspiring speech to the group. Tonight I woke up sick as did most of the group.

Fun at the beach

El Salvador Day 9, July 6, 2013 Saturday

Everyone except for me, Della, Clifton, Chris, Mark, and the Pirir family left to return to the US today. If I had had to leave today I don’t think I could have made it. I skipped breakfast and hardly touched lunch. I was able to go down and try to eat at the restaurant at the hotel. While we waited for our food I played For Sale with Irene, Espi, and Clifton. Espi won by a good bit. After lunch Clifton, Della and I rode the van to Osvaldo's  house. I am very thankful that we got to stay with Osvaldo and his family. Hector said Chris and Mark had a dirt floor and no electricity where they were staying. Osvaldo's wife Luz Elena made a lemon drink to make me feel better. Hector said it would make me sweat bullets and see elephants. Luz Elena made one for him too and he counted to three and we both drank as fast as we could. After taking a nap we went to church to celebrate a birthday and listen to Fernando preach. I felt a bit sick still and a doctor was there at the church so she prescribed some anti-nausea medicine.

El Salvador Day 10, July 7, 2013 Sunday

Luz Elena cooked pancakes without milk especially for me! I am feeling much better today. We had service in Ahuachapan and Clifton preached the lesson that he gave on Friday about his friendship with Lindsey. After church we went to a church near Jujutla for lunch and the road was so curvy that Della and Clifton got a bit motion sick. Hector informed me as we were leaving church that I needed to be prepared to preach in Ataco. This was the shortest notice I have had to prepare a lesson yet. Lunch was good and there were some funny turkeys there. On the way back from lunch we stopped by Antonio’s and he was out but the tarantula was there. It was not nearly finished but at this point I felt I had caused so much inconvenience for asking everyone to stop so many times that I paid for it and took with me. When I got in the van everyone made fun of me for taking it too early and said it wouldn’t have been much trouble to stop again and I should have let him finish it. It looked amazing already, it had cute eyebrows. I preached in Ataco on the power of the Holy Spirit and afterwards a lady was baptized! After the lesson I remembered that Emanuel was Antonio’s neighbor so I gave him the tarantula to give back to Antonio and asked him to remove the eyebrows. Then we went to Pollo Campero with Osvaldo’s family, the Pirir,  and Franklin. I got the bean pizza by Osvaldo’s recommendation and it was great. Then we left to go back to Osvaldo s house for the evening. Osvaldo’s family is treating us like royalty! (While writing this report I experienced my first Earthquake!! Clifton woke up from it and came running in the room with his jaw open in disbelief. It lasted about 15 seconds and happened at 8:50 PM. We were about 80 KM from the epicenter according to the news and it was a 5.6 at the center. Osvaldo said before El Salvador had its name it was called Hammock Valley in Spanish).

More baptisms!

Bean Pizza

El Salvador Day 11, July 8, 2013 Monday

Today we went to the lagoon near Franklin’s house in Ahuachapan. I was told that last year the lagoon flooded and Franklin’s house was under water up to the roof. While we were at the lagoon we had sodas. Then we went back to Osvaldo's house for lunch and Luz Elena had made Golden Fish fillet! I normally do not like fish but this was amazing! After lunch Osvaldo and I drove to the church near Jujutla for him to have his weekly meeting. It rained loudly and at the end of the meeting there was an enormous thunder crash. On the way back we picked up the completed tarantula from Antonio. He said he hoped I was pleased and I gave him a big hug. I am going to show this to everyone! Antonio has an amazing talent. We tried to go to the city park in Ahuachapan but the rain prevented us so we traveled on to dinner. Dinner was world class pupusas cooked by a lady who had won awards and competitions with her cooking. They were yummy.

The tarantula Me and Della

Clifton at the Lagoon

El Salvador Day 12, July 9, 2013 Tuesday

Breakfast was the best yet! Luz Elena cooked astonishing egg and ham pitas! We left at 9:00 AM for the green lagoon. When arrived we met up with everyone; Chris, Mark, Pirir family, Noé and a few others. The lagoon was about a mile around and had a trail. After walking the trail we got on a boat and two kids charged us a dollar each to take us out in the middle of the lagoon. Mark tried to take over the paddling and we started spinning in circles. When we finished at the lagoon we rode the van to a trail that led to a scenic overlook of Ahuachapan.  After sightseeing we rode the van to the house where Chris and Mark had stayed and had lunch. While we ate they made wooden decorations for us to take home as souvenirs. After that we went back to Osvaldo’s house and Della and I met with Hector to discuss some future plans. There are still a lot of questions in my mind but I am very excited about the future.

Della looking beautiful

The green lagoon

Clifton and a turkey

View of Ahuachapan

El Salvador Day 13, July 10, 2013 Wednesday

Today was mostly just traveling home. Franklin was going to go to San Salvador with us but he woke up sick. Noé drove us to the airport and he was sick too. Clifton and I got to the airport early and had time to kill. In Atlanta we got to meet up with the Central group! I stressed that they needed to preach with passion and gave them a brief report. Our flight to Chattanooga got delayed and we ended up having a 5 hour layover. I managed to get home and to bed at 3:00 AM. This was a fantastic experience and I can’t wait to have more in El Salvador!