What Have I...

What have I done? What have I experienced? What have I learned? What have I changed? What has changed in me? All these questions have been constantly in my head these past few days. To be honest, it’s hard for me to put to words but I know I have done things, had experiences, learned things, changed things, and changed myself. Spending two months in a different country/culture will do that to you.

            It’s been a couple weeks since my last blog post but it feels like only a few days. These past weeks have been busy and full of adventures, just like the others, but something has made time pass more quickly. Let’s talk about some of what has been going on here. I can finish an amazing story that started several weeks ago now. If you recall, there was a man who was unable to be at our Bible study the night the mango tree threw it’s limb at the building, and so we had it again the next night. This man was grateful for us having a Bible study he could bring his sons to. He later invited us to have a Bible study at his home, along with his family and his brother’s family. That night, the brother and his wife accepted Jesus as lord of their lives. Fast-forward to a few nights ago, this same man who invited us to his home came to the SHIP facility for Bible study, even though we weren’t planning one for that night. I had prepared a lesson from an earlier time, so that’s what I used. We talked about God’s reputation. Everybody has a reputation and it’s not until you actually get to know them before you know how much of their reputation is true. Many people say and believe things about God that sound wonderful, but they are not true about God. This message led to some discussion and brought openness from this man about why he had come that night. He and his wife were having some problems and he felt like he had no clue how to make his marriage work. We talked to him about how the Bible has answers for us on how to live with a perspective focused on God, and how it all starts with accepting the gift of Jesus as payment for our sins. Jesus primero. We could see that God was working in Him, but he was not ready to make a change because of feeling like his search for answers for his family situation had brought him to our Bible study that night. He wanted his decision to be based on him having a clear mind. We made arrangements to meet with him and his wife the next day to follow up. Well that was our plan, but not God’s plan. The next day, our van had a flat tire preoccupying the couple planning to meet with the local couple that night. What should have been an easy fix did not work at all…the spare tire would come down a couple inches then get stuck, but the cable would keep dropping down. They tried everything to get that spare tire off but with no luck. They had to call for some help, which meant there would be no time to talk to the couple that night. They got to visit the couple on the next night and the couple accepted Jesus as lord of their lives. Talk about God’s timing and not ours. If I’m honest, I was very worried that there would not be another chance beyond that night at the Bible study. I was afraid that the opportunity was gone and was afraid that something would happen to him. I did not want him to die without knowing Jesus, especially after being so close at the Bible study. Then the issue with the van. But it all worked out…according to God’s plan and timing. We looked at the van today, ready to get after that spare tire with some vengeance. Guess what…it came down exactly like it should with no problems, without any change in our methods. God’s timing. It’s beyond our control and comprehension, but it is good and true.

            Okay another something I’ve been doing these past couple weeks, talking with SHIP Trippers. We have had two weeks of groups, with some staying for both weeks. There is also a wonderful story of God working to get one girl to be able to stay for the second week, but I’m not going to tell that story right now. Myself and a few others spent several days, more than half, staying up late talking with each other. Late being anywhere between midnight and 2am, while still waking up between 6-6:45. There were times when it was rough, but it was worth every moment of being tired. We talked late into the night about anything and everything. Serious, scary, personal, goofy, funny, adventurous, and sorrowful. We covered ‘em all very well. It was not the easiest thing for me to do because I have had a few relationships go sour, leaving me hurt. This has made me hesitant to get to know people on a deeper level. I can talk about me but for privacy sake, I’m not going to share the details of our talks, but I would share that God used each of us to impact the others. For me, I have had a hard time engaging people again because of being scared of getting hurt again. Something I am coming to terms with is that I’m going to be hurt. There will be pain either path I take. If I stay stand off-ish for as long as I currently do, then I will always be distant to people. If I engage people and just go for it, then I will continue to be hurt by people because nobody is perfect. One path is pain, the other path is pain. Among God’s many promises to us is that He will be our comfort and our peace. As a Christian, I will still face the brokenness of our world but “There is love, that came for us. Humbled to a sinner’s cross. You broke my shame and sinfulness. You rose again victorious. You are stronger, you are stronger. Sin is broken, you have saved me. It is written, Christ is risen. Jesus you are Lord of all.” That comes from Stronger, aka Poderoso by Hillsong United. It’s one of the songs I learned and we played during this past community outreach. We did the Revelation song, Poderoso, and Cambiare Mi Tristeza, which is Trading my Sorrows. What fun we’ve had! Anyway, back to my story, I have learned so much over the past couple weeks by talking with the fellow SHIP trippers. I have made some new friends and we have had a mutually beneficial relationship thus far. They have spoken life into me and I have spoken life into them, and we have all grown closer to God through our relationships. What I want everyone to take away from this story is that we can still learn and grow in our relationship with God during the times when we are doing what many would call “serving God through missions.” I personally don’t like that phrase because I don’t want to live with intentionality only during times when I am on a “mission trip.” We can still be poured into during times when we are reaching out to show God’s love to others. We still have problems and need truth to be spoken to us.  “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” –Hebrews 3:12-14

            What else has been going on? Well, we built a house. No really, we built a house. The first week we built an expansion to a house and replaced the roof, and the second week we built a whole house. The construction guidance of the leaders absolutely amazes me. Not much material is straight and not many of the workers have much experience, be everything always comes together. Another project we finished was the duplex that was started in March. It was the first project I got to work on, and now I get to see it finished. The mom and two daughters moved in a couple days ago. Let’s see, what else? I’ve learned a few new songs, some in English and some in Spanish, helped lead music during our two community outreaches, played at the beach, and eaten some more pupusas. I am constantly running around and doing a little bit of everything. It leaves me very tired each night but it has been worth everything. If I could ask for something right now it would be prayer for me as the end of my trip approaches. I leave for Texas in a few days and am not ready to say goodbye yet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to see everyone back home, but I know I will miss the people I have grown close to here in El Salvador. I would like to return at a later time but I don’t know when that will be. I know I will leave part of my heart here in El Salvador. There will come a day when we will be together again with our brothers and sisters in Christ, in this life or the next. I will count it a blessing if it is once again in this life.

 Our water fight with the kids from the orphanage

 Our water fight with the kids from the orphanage

 The new house coming together

 The frame of the new house

 Driveway from SHIP

 Inside view, much bigger than these pictures show (picture taken from center of room)

 Some of our group with the family who received the new house

Three wonderful ladies standing in front of their new house at the duplex

Learn to Live

When making this blog I have been thinking about what I want to say to everyone who reads it. Man or woman, young or old, adventurous or cautious, organized or spontaneous, etc. That makes for a broad range of people. What could they all possibly have in common with which I could talk about? I would say to all the people reading this blog, learn to live. What I mean by that is not to travel the world or make a bucket list or constantly live outside your comfort zone, as great as those may be. I mean that you should live well. Engage the people you are close to. Continue learning. Don’t become complacent or settle for something less. If you are very, very lucky, you will get to spend maybe 100 years on this planet. That is so very brief in the grand scheme of things. Get to know the people around you. And don’t just talk about the weather. Get to know them! Who they are. What they enjoy. What their beliefs are. How you can impact their lives. Don’t get wrapped up in only yourself. And save yourself the misery of getting wrapped up in “Let me tell you what’s wrong with this world.” Here’s where my Christianity comes into play, don’t focus your life on making a Heaven on Earth. The Bible is very clear that this world will continue to grow more and more wicked and evil. There is still much good in our world but nobody can deny that it is a broken world. One day God will destroy the world and create a new one. First and foremost, I would encourage you to ask God to show Himself to you if you do not already know Him. And please don’t judge Him based off of Christian people who have hurt you or you see as hypocrites or just downright awful people. Make sure it is God who you know about and not a false perception based on people. The Bible is the best place to learn about who God is, and the book of John is a good place to start.

Now, back to the learn to live thing. The reason I would say this is because it is something I have been seeing in my own life since I have been here in El Salvador. As transparent as I may seem in these blogs, I have a hard time letting people close to me. Much of this results from past relationships going sour and leaving me hurt, and so I don’t throw myself out there very quickly. I’m naturally a rather quiet person, but there are many times where my quietness is a result of me being overly cautious with myself. The problem with this, as I have seen more and more while here in El Salvador, is that opportunities are limited. Opportunities are limited for getting to know the rest of the team. Opportunities are limited for getting to know the people at the orphanage. Opportunities are limited for getting to know people in the community. Opportunities are limited for everything! I am working on and praying that God will break through the barriers I put in place between myself and the opportunities I have been given. I would encourage you to do the same, and would ask that you pray for me in this area.

What did I do this week? Days are running together, and if it weren’t for other people telling me then I would totally lose track of what day it is. Oh yeah, I remember now. I got to do a little bit of everything. I got to install some ceiling fans, tape and mud some walls, clear a plugged gutter full of mango leaves and dirt, I got to drive again, I was taught how to make pupusas earlier tonight, I braided some hair, I played my guitar, I got to learn some more Spanish, and I helped take 15 kids to the zoo. Just another week in paradise, am I right? I don’t know about your paradise but I have enjoyed being here and getting to be part of everything going on. In all honesty, it has been exhausting but worth it. I would say the highlight of my week happened last night, though, while I was over at the orphanage. I was at the orphanage in the evening for a little while, went back home for supper, then went back to the orphanage afterward. We had been watching futbol, Argentina versus Venezuela. Side note, Argentina, a crowd favorite over at the orphanage, beat Venezuela 4-1 and will play USA on Tuesday. It might be an interesting night on Tuesday. Anyway, after that game was done, they changed the channel to some sort of concert in Colombia. Through some research afterward, it was a guy named Marcos Witt. Here’s a taste of the concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpvo-CJUY60 , y un otro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODP3pdcXwAQ. It’s okay if you laugh at his dancing in the first one, we did too. Muevete oh Dios en mi is like saying move in me oh God. I understood some of the lyrics but not the majority. I did, however, understand that they were worshipping God, as were many of the people watching at the orphanage. This concert was on for an hour and for that hour, I was sitting next to one of the young men over there, who is a year or two younger than me, and also next to a younger boy who is nine. Not long into the concert the younger boy laid down on the bench and put his head on my lap while continuing to watch the concert. He wanted me to put my arm to rest around his chest. He would periodically look up and say something or touch my goatee or show me his grande melon, which is his belly that he likes to stick out. He laid there for the majority of the concert and eventually got a blanket, came back, and went to sleep. As he was going to sleep he kept making sure that he was still touching me. Didn’t have to be much, but just something. I have enjoyed being around this boy, and it wasn’t the first time we’ve spent together but this experience really hit home how valuable simply being a younger man can be to someone looking for another person to take interest in them. They have good parental figures at the orphanage, but me being a younger man brings a different relationship. More of a mix between brother and father. Though it’s called an orphanage, not all the people there would be considered orphans, meaning they still have parents, and some even stay with parents periodically. It’s a little foggy to me but I don’t need to understand everything. What I do understand is that my presence has an impact on their lives. My presence and my engagement with them has an even greater impact. Engagement adds so much to the impact. It makes me even more grateful for my parents and their presence coupled with engagement in my life. I would encourage you if you are a parent, it’s not too late to be engaged in the lives of your children. And don’t tell me you can’t because it will be weird or awkward. I already know it will be weird and awkward, but what I want you to know is that it will be worth it. Engage people. Learn to live. 

Ryan Green

The group at the zoo

Week Without a Group

Who, what, when, where, and why? I’m not sure how that relates to anything but it helped me start writing. So there you have it, an introduction.

I have a hard time knowing what to write about because there are so many experiences we are having while here in El Salvador. This week we had no group so it made a different atmosphere for us. We have still been making progress and staying busy working to finish the apartments of the expansion building so there will be enough rooms and beds for everyone coming with the next group. We still have a couple weeks before they get here and everything will be ready by then, but there is still much work to be done. I have been learning a lot about many different areas of construction. Just to name a few…framing walls, hanging sheetrock, hanging/framing window units in cinderblock walls, repairing metal roofs. I am grateful for the opportunities to learn how to be a handyman. Being a handyman could come in handy. And while I’m on the topic of handy, knowing another language would definitely be handy. So, if you get the opportunity to learn another language, go for it. You never know when it will come in handy. I’m still working on my Spanish but I’m learning a lot.

We went on an adventure this past Saturday. We took a trip up to the nearby volcano! I’m not sure if the volcano has a different name but there were signs welcoming us to “El Boqueron” National Park. I had been looking forward to going to the top since before we even got here for the summer. The view is indescribable. The crater in the top was much larger and deeper than I expected it to be. I got some pictures of the view but it really doesn’t capture even a fraction of what we actually saw. We also ate at one of the restaurants high on the volcano. Café Miranda I think was the name. The food was excellent and the view was absolutely stunning. To top it all off, I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to be having these experiences with. Later on that day, we met with the family who we get coffee from. They were very hospitable and also had this wonderful bulldog. We spent some time at their house and then went to eat at a Chinese restaurant for supper. Though it was a little different, it was still very good. We ordered four large platters and soup for all of us to share. It felt like we were eating the majority of Saturday. But that’s not something I will ever complain about. Good food, good adventures, amazing views, and amazing people; Hard to get any better than that.

Another story I would like to share goes back to the mango tree incident of the previous blog post. If you remember, the tree limb fell and interrupted our bible study on one night. The next night we picked up where we left off but there were a few different people that night. One man, who brought his two sons, told us he was very grateful that we were having a bible study he could attend along with his sons. He wants his sons to learn about God and for them to not be on the streets or get caught up in the gangs. Earlier this week, we replaced the metal roof at their house. This served as another opportunity to deepen our relationship with them and point them to God. To make a long story shorter, we asked if there would be a good time where we could all, not just the guys, go to their house to have a Bible study. We got it set up for Sunday afternoon. Our group was there, he was there with his wife and kids, his brother and brother’s wife and daughter were there, along with some of his in-laws. Leon presented a wonderful message out of 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 about how our level of wisdom and intelligence does not make us acceptable or unacceptable to God. It makes no sense according to our wisdom or intelligence as to why God would send Jesus to die in our place and be raised from the dead to forgive us our debts. Verse 30 says, “You are God’s children. He sent Christ Jesus to save us and make us wise, acceptable, and holy.” The important thing to note here is that we are God’s children. When I say that, I don’t want you to think that we are His children by default. Unless we choose to know Jesus and accept His gift of covering the punishment for our sins, then we are not His children. That may sound harsh and we would probably all like to believe everyone will go to heaven, but it’s the honest truth. It’s not that God doesn’t let us be his child, it’s that we don’t choose to know Him and accept the gift of forgiveness through Jesus. I urge you to figure out where you stand in this area. If you have questions, find someone you trust who is a Christian, or feel free to ask me any questions. I got a little sidetracked from my story but I feel what I just said needed to be said. Anyway, at the end of the Bible study we asked how we could pray for them. The brother and brother’s wife asked if we could pray for them, so we gathered around and prayed for them in their situation. I’m not real sure what they are going through but I prayed for God to make Himself known to them and that they would gain the peace and joy that comes from knowing Him. After we had prayed for them, we asked if they knew Jesus and they said no but they want to. Both of them prayed to receive Jesus as Lord of their lives! Praise God for that! They also asked if we could pray for their two year old daughter who has some sort of congestion and breathing issue for about a week, and the medicine from the doctor does not seem to be helping. We gathered around her and prayed for healing and that God would make Himself known in this situation. That is about where the story stops for now, simply because these events happened a few hours ago. But I have faith that God will continue to pursue this family and work in their lives. I would like to know the next part of this story, and I pray God shows it to us, but I know God will continue to work even if I’m not around to see it. I will be sure to share the story if it is shown to me.

As always, I would ask for prayer for safety and health within our group. God is working through us here in El Salvador. Until next time…

Ryan Green

 The new roof.

 Making a movie night for our group.

 The volcano viewed from SHIP facility.

 The crater

 View from Cafe Miranda.

 The Bulldog

Our group at the volcano

Whatever Happens, Happens For A Reason

Another week spent in El Salvador has left us all exhausted, so we did one of the most important things we could today, rest. That’s right, rest. This week was full of adventures, God working in this community, and stretching our flexibility, as usual. We had a slightly smaller group but everyone stayed busy and in good spirits. Who could ask for anything more?

Lets talk about flexibility. We had our usual plan of what we wanted to have accomplished by the end of the week. This included all the usual Vacation Bible School, guys and girls Bible studies, laying sheetrock inside the duplex, framing walls, windows, doors, and probably a few more things I can’t think of at the moment. Midway through the week we were doing our guys and girls Bible studies and we heard a huge crash. One of the mango trees decided to break off a limb and drop it partially on the main building. When I say tree I mean a 50-60 foot tree.

More unexpected things, as I was writing this I was needed in the bottom floor in the new SHIP Shop because water was coming into the office area. The drain had become partially blocked by a bunch of leaves from that same mango tree. All better now.

Back to the mango tree. Needless to say, this marked the end of our Bible studies for the night. We assessed the damage and nothing major had happened to the building. We could see where the main part of the branch had landed on a beam of the roof. It would have punched a hole in the roof if it had landed in another spot. Praise God the damage was minimal! We had to divert several of the workers to removing the damaged parts of the tree as well as the overhanging limbs. God provided help for what was needed and we still managed to make great progress on all the other projects. Also there were a couple men from the neighborhood who came and donated their time to work on a septic tank for the new building.

Back to the Bible study that got interrupted. We were walking through the life of Abram, around the part where he becomes Abraham, when the tree limb fell. The next day we picked up where we left off, but had a few more people who had not been the day before. At the end of our Bible study, a man who had been invited and brought his two sons told us that he had been asking God for a group of men he could join and bring his sons to. He mentioned he did not know a lot about God or the Bible, and I’m not really sure what his beliefs are, but it was clear that God had orchestrated the situation. I believe that God used the tree limb to interrupt our Bible study to allow for that man to bring himself and his sons to our group. I would ask you to pray for him and his sons, that they would continue to come and would come to know Jesus, and if they know Him that they would grow a stronger relationship with God and with our group. And I would encourage you to look at your own situations in a way that you ask how you can point others to God in your situation. God will make Himself known.

Be Joyful,

Ryan Green

Along with all the flexibility, there was a lot of fun being had. I even got to braid some hairs and strum on a guitar. Here are a few pictures to enjoy…

 Hunter sharing his story with Mark translating

The limb that broke off

The view from on top of the roof

 Juan Carlos and Reyes tying the next limb to be cut

 Prepping the next cut

The volcano

 About to start the ceremony opening the new SHIP Shop

Flowers in the neighborhood

 Everything is colorful!

 The volcano viewed from our balcony at SHIP

 Majority of the group at the orphanage

 Smiles

 Compadres

 View of the volcano from the mall

Just undid my braids

What a Wonderful World

Two of my favorite songs…

“Wise men say

Only fools rush in

But I can’t help falling in love with you”

“I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself what a wonderful world”

If you haven’t figured it out, I’m in a rather romantic sort of mood. Not romantic as in I’ve found a gorgeous woman here in El Salvador, though there are many. I have found a love for the people here. We have been able to spend more and more time with kids in the neighborhood and orphanage throughout the past week. We had a wonderful group of mostly Juniors from KOR private school in College Station, along with some couples as chaperones. Mostly first time SHIP trippers with a few who had been before. They were great workers who interacted well with everyone. No real squabbles is pretty impressive for a group of peers in a new place that is physically and emotionally draining.

We had the largest attendance ever, by 30, at our outreach of 100 people from the community.  This involved our team leading worship, sharing some testimonies, a short sermon, and some sweaty chicken. Not sure exactly what sweaty chicken is or why it’s called that but it tasted good. SHIP has become a major life/hope giving location here in El Salvador. If you didn’t know, it took about 7 years for SHIP to be able to build their main building. Though it was very hard, the Horton’s look back on this time as a blessing because it allowed them to build relationships in the community. It is an honor for me to be here at this time where SHIP is so established. Part of our project over the next few weeks is to get the second building in a livable state. This means doing the finishing touches on the apartment windows, doors, and bathrooms for the 8 or so apartments. We will also finish the SHIP shop retail store to move it to that same building, as it is outgrowing the big room in the main building. So when I say I’m getting to see projects come together, I’m not kidding. We also will finish the house I was able to work on during my spring break trip. This will be for a mom with two wonderful high school or college age daughters who have all been living in one of the rooms of the main building. So much of this place is coming together. God has been working through everyone that has come and through those supporting us. Though we are here to build houses and provide material needs, we desire for the people here to know God. A few days ago, a young man, David, who has been a hired hand and helped work on many of the projects accepted Christ as Lord of his life. Whoop for that! God is making Himself known!

It has been a frustration of mine not being able to interact and share everything that is going on. I could type until my fingers fell off and still not be close to saying everything. There is simply not enough time to go through life alongside every person. However, there will be time in heaven for us to catch up. I truly hope and pray to see you there! Whatever your beliefs may be, the bible is clear that Jesus is the way, truth, and life and no one gets to Heaven unless they accept Jesus as Lord of their life. What does that mean? To put it simply, admit and understand you are broken and in need of a savior. Understand and believe that Jesus has paid your penalty for sin against a holy and perfect God. Accept this gift of being reunited with God and tell people about it. It is entwined in all the bible stories how God wants us to know Him. If you are new to the Bible and want to learn more, I would recommend starting in the book of John. And feel free to message me on Facebook if you have any questions or thoughts. I may not be able to help clear up everything but I will do my best or point you to someone who can.

As always, I would ask for prayer for safety, health, energy, and boldness to follow God’s will. Here are some pictures to enjoy.

Ryan Green

 Preparing shelfs and racks for the new SHIP shop

 Some sheet rock the group

 The girl's castle with one diligent worker

 Me and Juan Carlos with the kids from KOR

Juan Carlos reading during a break for the men's bible study

 Beach dogs wanting to inhabit our castle

 The serpent guarding the guy's castle

 The guy's castle

 Seth hard at work

Seth defending the fort