Today we enjoyed a bit of history with our translators and hosts here in El Salvador. After putting in a full week of work, we headed off to Chalchuapa to visit the Mayan Pyramid. It was eerie to stand at the top of altars built for human sacrifices high above the ground. Thinking of the loss of life large enough for blood to fill the stone basins staggered our minds. It is almost incomprehensible.
After touring the museum rich in artifacts and information, it was off to San Salvador to shop in the local shops for some El Salvadorian treasures. If it wasn´t for help with translation, I am sure I would have still been trying to make a purchase. So much to choose from, so little time!
Tomorrow we will see the house we helped build, but not quite finish. The men from the church here, GCLA, will complete what we started. It is a partnership that will result in great results. That house will give a family from Pastor Ivo´s church a new start, a place to make their own family history.
Every day the father of two dug out earth, moved boulders and bags of cement (100 pounds in each bag on each shoulder), cut steel and painted with a group of men and women from team. They all laughed at Pastor Dan´s goofy straw hat, and used muscles they didn´t know they had. But what a sense of accomplishment! So many miracles have occured throughout this trip, all for God´s glory!!
Tonight our hosts have prepared a farewell dinner as we share one more evening with them. We will miss these friends who have served us and who we have served alongside all week. They are humble people who work so hard, who give so much, who ask so little for themselves. They embody Christ in the many ways they show their love, so selfless.
So today´s word is history, historia. Not only have created personal history in a country most of us had never visited, but we have been a part of history in this church. What intersections have happened here between the team, Pastor Ivo and his staff and helpers, the local people we shared life with have been significant. So significant that our lives have been changed.
We indeed have not only been a part of history, but also a part of His Story,
La historia de dios, written on the hearts of all of us. We can´t thank you enough for your prayers and continued support!! Adios, amigos. We´ll see you en ustados unidos soon. Dios te bendiga! (God bless you!)
Showing posts with label GCLA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GCLA. Show all posts
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Medicine for the Heart
Today, Tuesday, we opened the doors at 10 in the morning to a mass of people waiting to receive medical care. In preparation for this big day, yesterday 5 people on the medical team went out into a nearby community and distributed a ticket to any person who needed medical care.
The plan was to create stations to accomodate the volume of people and the various medical assessment tools they performed. Intake was at one station, height and weight at another, blood pressure, pulse and medical condition at the last. Some of the patients were able to be helped without seeing a doctor. Others waited to see a local certified physician onsite. By 2:30 all of the 45 patients had been assisted.
This was the first time that GCLA church had done a medical outreach and it was received well. We hope to see over 150 patients in three days. Pastor Ivo has a vision to reach the poorest of La Libertad with the love of Jesus in practical ways. Medical help offers that. Add the compassion of 17 gringos here to help and you have love and service that honors the Lord.
Not only were the physical needs met, but we prayed and talked to many about Christ. One young lady was prayed over for healing due to witnessing an uncle´s suicide that plagues her with anxiety attacks. We believe God will set her free from this trauma. She was in church on Sunday, and only accepted the Lord 3 months ago. Please pray for Anna and the other patients we will see in the next two days. God is moving!!!
The medicine that was given out will certainly the people who received it. However, the real medicine of the heart may be the love that is received not by word (since many of us do not know the language well enough to speak it) but by actions and service. Today´s word for the day is actually two similar words: dar, to give; and ayudar, to help. As we catch the eye of a child and give them a smile, a pat on the back, a coloring book, we are giving them love. The ironic thing about it is that we receive what we are giving...love. And that, my friends, is good medicine for the heart.
The plan was to create stations to accomodate the volume of people and the various medical assessment tools they performed. Intake was at one station, height and weight at another, blood pressure, pulse and medical condition at the last. Some of the patients were able to be helped without seeing a doctor. Others waited to see a local certified physician onsite. By 2:30 all of the 45 patients had been assisted.
This was the first time that GCLA church had done a medical outreach and it was received well. We hope to see over 150 patients in three days. Pastor Ivo has a vision to reach the poorest of La Libertad with the love of Jesus in practical ways. Medical help offers that. Add the compassion of 17 gringos here to help and you have love and service that honors the Lord.
Not only were the physical needs met, but we prayed and talked to many about Christ. One young lady was prayed over for healing due to witnessing an uncle´s suicide that plagues her with anxiety attacks. We believe God will set her free from this trauma. She was in church on Sunday, and only accepted the Lord 3 months ago. Please pray for Anna and the other patients we will see in the next two days. God is moving!!!
The medicine that was given out will certainly the people who received it. However, the real medicine of the heart may be the love that is received not by word (since many of us do not know the language well enough to speak it) but by actions and service. Today´s word for the day is actually two similar words: dar, to give; and ayudar, to help. As we catch the eye of a child and give them a smile, a pat on the back, a coloring book, we are giving them love. The ironic thing about it is that we receive what we are giving...love. And that, my friends, is good medicine for the heart.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Party on!!
The church service Sunday night at Great Commission Church in La Libertad reminded me that language of the Holy Spirit is universal much like music or a smile. We had a supply of both as we sang songs that we have sung before at Open Door in Spanish. (We have a new appreciation for powerpoint by the way.) The band was rockin´ (I mean tear up the place with total annointed worship and instrumentation) and Pastor Dan delivered a great message out of Acts 1. We prayed over him, blessing him and asking God to slow his preaching down a little to accomodate the interpreter, which he did.´Pastor Ivo was excited to report that the message was well received.
Sunday afternoon we went door to door in very humble neighborhoods asking children and their parents to come to a party. It is hard to describe the conditions in which they live without getting choked up. Simple doesn´t really do it justice. Yet the people are very open to having conversations with gringos like us. We visited a home that was built last year by the church here. We will build something like that home this week. We gave out invitations to the party at GCLA (that´s how Í will refer to the organization we are working with here but it stands for Great Commission Latin America) better for having seen a little of where they live and their culture.
I must admit, I was skeptical as to how many would come. I was pleasantly surprised, no, really, a bit shocked as about 200 people came to party at 2 pm. All of them walked, and their faces lit up to see balloons, hear music and get to play for a couple hours out of the hot sun. What a fiesta!! We partied, played, hugged, loved and interacted with these beautiful people, both parents and children of all ages.
The party included many games and contests between boys and girls as well as swinging at two pinatas. There was a skit describing a version of the Prodigal son story put on by two actors who were very energetic. To see so many children enthralled for two hours was a miracle of sorts. When was the last time you were able to keep the attention of that many children for that long? They are hungry for something that they found here.
God has thrown a party for us, one that will last for eternity, but also starts right here and now. Celebration is an attitude, a matter of the heart. And so today´s word is fiesta. Party because we have a God who loves us, even when we are prodigal children. Party because God loves us so much He planned a celebration forever. We see that God is at work here in La Libertad which goes to show...that party can happen anywhere at anytime. Party on, friends!
Sunday afternoon we went door to door in very humble neighborhoods asking children and their parents to come to a party. It is hard to describe the conditions in which they live without getting choked up. Simple doesn´t really do it justice. Yet the people are very open to having conversations with gringos like us. We visited a home that was built last year by the church here. We will build something like that home this week. We gave out invitations to the party at GCLA (that´s how Í will refer to the organization we are working with here but it stands for Great Commission Latin America) better for having seen a little of where they live and their culture.
I must admit, I was skeptical as to how many would come. I was pleasantly surprised, no, really, a bit shocked as about 200 people came to party at 2 pm. All of them walked, and their faces lit up to see balloons, hear music and get to play for a couple hours out of the hot sun. What a fiesta!! We partied, played, hugged, loved and interacted with these beautiful people, both parents and children of all ages.
The party included many games and contests between boys and girls as well as swinging at two pinatas. There was a skit describing a version of the Prodigal son story put on by two actors who were very energetic. To see so many children enthralled for two hours was a miracle of sorts. When was the last time you were able to keep the attention of that many children for that long? They are hungry for something that they found here.
God has thrown a party for us, one that will last for eternity, but also starts right here and now. Celebration is an attitude, a matter of the heart. And so today´s word is fiesta. Party because we have a God who loves us, even when we are prodigal children. Party because God loves us so much He planned a celebration forever. We see that God is at work here in La Libertad which goes to show...that party can happen anywhere at anytime. Party on, friends!
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