miercoles

Finally! We made it to the University of El Salvador today to share our faith. We had a devotional here first so everyone could practice our script of Spanish phrases to invite people to come to the anniversary service on Sunday. We got to the campus and were waiting for some other disciples to join us, and I saw this guy with a Miami Dolphins tshirt on. I approached him and did my thing - quiero invitardo a la reunion de la iglesia. He said OK. I thought it was going great, so I said te doy una invitado, or something like that, and he said something in Spanish to indicate that he would be there. I was really excited and then I realized that he was the disciple that we were waiting for!

After that let down, Jonathan and I walked around the campus with Dolphin Man, and invited lots of people to service. He spoke about as much English as I spoke Spanish. It was great, though. We had a blast together.

Later in the afternoon, we went to have lunch together. Batman, one of our policeman, was telling Mariela and Teresa how when he was given this assignment, he thought it was only going to be protecting a group of rich Americans. He never thought that he would actually feel like a part of the group himself, and be having so much fun with us and talking about God. He said that yesterday when we went to serve the disciples families, he was embarrased and humbled because his people are killing each other, while this group of foreigners is coming to his country to serve his people. He was so impacted, and he told his wife that they need to come to church with us this Sunday.

Sandra, our assistant tour guide, agreed to study the Bible with the girls from our group on Friday.

Tonight was midweek. We left the house thirty minutes early for the ten minute drive. However, there was such bad traffic that it took us an hour and fifteen minutes. They had started the service almost a half hour late, and I walked in just in time to walk up on stage and preach. We missed the worship workshop because of traffic. We almost missed midweek because of traffic. I think I´ll leave a day early for the parenting workshop on Friday.

It was great speaking to the church. They are such great people. It was very strange and awkward preaching with an interpreter. He was very good, but it is just so unnatural for me. I hope I get the hang of it by Sunday.

Tomorrow, Teresa and Mariela are both going to spend the day with their families who live in El Salvador. How great is that?

The rest of us are going to take a day to spend at the beach. One of the families here has a connection with a great beach house, and they have offered it to us for the day, so we are going to drive there and spend the day together there with the Perkins. Friday morning, we are going to get up early, drive back to the city and go back to Glady´s house and do what we can to help her.

The church here has been very aware of not planning so many activities that we are exhausted, so they want to make sure we get plenty of relaxing down time. They have been so good to us! Our group, however, is chomping at the bit to do more hands-on work with the disciples and the poor here. It is a strange juxtaposition to see such poverty, and be experiencing such relative luxury ourselves. I know we will find a great balance, but we are still trying to land on that.

In the meantime, we are all still challenged to our core about the changes we all feel God is calling us to make. We are brimming over with plans and ideas for the Turning Point and how we can become more of a partner with the church here in the future. May God strike me down if I forget the things he has shown me here, or if I fail to do anything to change my life so that I can be more of a blessing to others.

We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are. - Max DePree