El Salvador Mission Trip 2013 (Day 4 of 7)

This is the fourth of a seven part series taken from my daily journal while in Ahuachapan, El Salvador participating in a mission trip with the LaGrange District of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Day 4: 2/19/2013

Getting our supplies in order for pipe cleaner station

Today we held our first bible school with about 30-35 children showing up. As they began coming in the doors, the children hugged us. Some children even went around the church hugging each adult. One thing startled us at first. A few came in in the front door and immediately shot out a side door as we are shouting, "No, aquí!" since I didn't know the words for "come back." As I followed them out, I noticed they were not trying to run away, but were at the outside sink, washing their hands, wiping their hair and face, and rinsing their feet. They quickly finished their task and came back in to sit and wait patiently for instructions.


Some of our youth interacting with the children

One young man had a bright green instrument of some sort, made of bamboo. The way he carried it reminded me of the way the soldiers carried their machine guns on the street corners in the area. I began to wonder if it was an instrument after all. I pointed and asked "qué?" He put it to his mouth and began to play a simple song. "Bravo!", I said, to which he bowed and said "thank you!" Mystery solved, or so I thought. A few minutes later, this same child was holding it like and machine gun and pretending to fire. I guess I was right on both accounts. I couldn't help but laugh.

Our youth acting out the creation story

We had the simplest of crafts as we talked about God creating things of nature such as light and dark, flowers and trees, sun, moon, and stars. The children colored creation pictures, made card stock frames to embellish with foam stickers, folded tissue paper flowers, and played with pipe cleaners. Even the abuelas were fascinated with making pipe cleaner "floras". We had a church member on hand to help translate the bible story and lead the children in songs.

Some of the children, and Melanie coloring

I cannot describe my emotions right now. I barely understood these children and they barely understood me. Yet, we communicated. We shared smiles and hugs. I shared English words while they shared Spanish ones with me. I even shared my name. We had a "Jenni" and a "Jeniffer" today. :)



Scott and Elizabeth with the children as they play with pipe cleaners

Such a wave of joy came over me when I asked them as they left, "Hasta mañana?" and I received big grins with an exuberant "Si! Hasta mañana!"

Hasta mañana!!