El Salvador Mission Trip 2013 (Day 7 of 7)

This is the last 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 7: 2/22/2013

Road leading to La Gloria Metodista

Last full day in Ahuachapan, El Salvador. We leave bright and early in the morning to head to the airport I believe.
We began today going to the church to clean. I ended up with a small group going over to the conference-owned mission house. It had wi-fi! I was able to email and Facebook a little without a line waiting as with our community laptop in days prior.

La Gloria Metodista

After cleaning, we visited La Gloria Metodista in La Gloria pastored by Gloria!. This church sits in a valley near a river.

Inside La Gloria

The road leading down to the church is known to be frequented by gangs. It was not recommended we walk these roads and our bus could not safely travel the rough terrain. So, we were shuttled past the gang-infested territory to the church location. This small block building barely held our group of 32. Tin roof with daylight shining through and yet the sweetest altar set up with flowers and white tablecloth. The congregation was so thankful to have been able to purchase the building and land after 5 years of $20/mo. rent, for $3700. They took great pride in their church and feel blessed to have it though the people have no money to contribute greatly. They prayed for years and God provided. We so take often take our church facility for granted. The pastor has 50 kids in her church, and about 100 members including adults, meeting in such a small building. They go to church daily. It is a place of refuge and hope for the people of La Gloria.


Clinic at La Providencia

Next, we visited another church, more established in La Providencia. On its campus is a government clinic akin to our health department that serves about 1500 people with one doctor, one nurse, and four community assistants.
We also visited the El Salvador Methodist Church national office, clothing center, and Clinica Metodista.
(more to come after dinner and worship...)
Dinner was great! Pupusas are great! I had a very good strawberry smoothie, too. After dinner, we headed back to New Jerusalem for a farewell worship service. It was an interesting and touching experience to hear familiar praise songs sung in Spanish. We were given opportunity to share thoughts about the week and our time here. I m so thankful for the opportunity to play with the young El Salvadoran children and share love with them. They presented each team member with a token of appreciation. I received a handmade hairband of straw or wicker of some sort. I will treasure it with my many wonderful memories.
Speaking of memories...from being mistaken for Mike's (Wilson) wife early on, to Hank's (Hughes) poor spider killing skills, we had a ton of laughs, too.
Quite a few "you had to be there" moments...
Looking for Margaret.
Flushing the paper.
30 people in the bed of a truck
The Mafia bus
Clown.
"I need the key."
Hitting heads on the package rack (Except Suzie)
Kory the Pirate.
Kory the Beggar.
Kory the Soccer Player.
Evening prayer groups.
The singing.
Kicking the dog.
Misplaced underwear.

This is definitely an experience I will never forget. Friendships formed. Memories made. Moments treasured.






 

El Salvador Mission Trip 2013 (Day 6 of 7)

This is the sixth 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 6: 2/21/2013

I got emails from James! I miss him and the children so much. I am truly incomplete without them. I pray one day that each of them can experience a trip like this.

We finished our third and final day of bible school today. We were greeted with big smiles and hugs once again. We helped them make stained glass/sun catchers using waxed paper and tissue paper. After ironing 34 to sel the colors, I was given a pipe cleaner bracelet by a young girl as "gracias" (thanks). I will put it with the 3 drawings and pipe cleaner "serpiente" (snake) that I was given on the other days.

Once again, as the children departed and gave hugs, I felt so fulfilled. We sent the children out of the church, carrying their crafts and hygeine kits in canvas bags they decorated, to walk the dusty, rocky road home. No car rider line. No "wait here here til your ride comes." No emergency contact numbers.

Do you know what else we didn't have? We had no complaining or whining children. We had no disrespect or misbehaving. No snacks either.
We had children who could be content with the simplest of crafts. Children who could play with pipe cleaners or color for an hour. Children who did not need to be entertained.
Last, but not least, we had "John Jacob Jingle Hiemer Schmidt" except it was "Juan Paco Pedro- something". (Note to self: Google that one later.)
 

Juan Paco Pedro de la Mar
Es mi nombre, si
Y cuando yo me voy
Me dicen que yo soy
Juan Paco Pedro de la Mar
La ,la…la, la, la, la…la…