17 Lessons From 17 Weeks in El Salvador

I was doing some thinking…as I try to do on occasion…and I realized I have spent 17 weeks living in El Salvador. One spring break trip, one summer trip for 8 weeks, and one more summer trip for 8 weeks. 1 + 8 + 8 = 17 weeks total. In conclusion for this summer, I was thinking it would be great to share 17 lessons I have learned from spending 17 weeks in El Salvador. So here it goes…

1) Spanish is not vital to show people the love of God

Visiting a Spanish speaking country means you need to know Spanish, right? No, not really. It is not necessary to share God’s love only through our words. I have seen that we are able to build relationships through simple presence. We can play with kids, build homes, and have community without needing to say a word. God leads us places and is faithful to build relationships even through the obstacles.

2) Spanish is necessary for discipleship

Starting relationships is easy, but building deeper relationships requires deeper communication, it can’t only be body language. Discipleship and living life alongside people in a Spanish speaking country is really only possible when you can communicate well. They may know some English, but the majority don’t know enough to have deeper conversations, just like the majority of Americans don’t know enough Spanish. My Spanish has improved significantly over my 17 weeks in El Salvador, but it is in my plans to learn Spanish very well. I see myself continuing to be involved with Spanish speaking countries and see that learning Spanish would allow for deeper relationships as well as open the door to more opportunities.

3) Relationships take time

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Relationships take time to form and grow. It does not usually happen overnight and it takes effort to continue relationships. The more time that passes brings more trust and respect. There is no magic pill. Relationships are not necessary for evangelism, but they are necessary for discipleship and the building up of a community.

4) Being vulnerable makes you relatable

Most of the world sees the United States as the land of opportunity and has a view that nothing majorly bad happens here. When we make ourselves vulnerable and are open to sharing stories of how God has walked us through hard times in our lives, we become relatable. Everybody goes through hardships. I remember a time this summer where I shared about going through a deep depression a couple years ago during our guys Bible study, and the next day one of the young men came up and started a conversation with me. It was a conversation just to get to know me more and so I could get to know him, talking about siblings, age, favorite food, etc. Being vulnerable makes us relatable and approachable.

5) Being intentional with the time we’ve been given

Time is limited. I have spent 17 weeks in El Salvador and it does not feel like much time. I have learned that there are not always more opportunities to engage people. When there is an opportunity, it needs to be taken. This has helped me to be more proactive in all of my relationship and to seize the opportunities God has given me. There is not always another opportunity. I am reminded of that Toby Mac song that says, “If you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now?”

6) God will guide you, though he may not tell you in advance

Ask God to move in your life and He will move. He will guide you where He wants you to be and He will equip you once you are there. Turn your brain off, quit overanalyzing situations, and just go where God is leading you. He may not give you the full story or the end picture, but I promise you because I have seen this in my life, God will lead you. I can look back at my life and see how God has led me to where I am today, even though I have not felt like He was leading me in the moment.

7) Rest is necessary

We are not able to continuously pour ourselves out all day every day. We need rest. Rest from work and responsibilities. Rest does not come naturally in most situations, it has to be planned into the schedule. I have seen and felt the effects of not resting enough. It makes us irritable, discouraged, selfish, and ruins our ability to function well. Take time to rest.

8) Long distance is difficult and costly

This lesson is a hard one for me to deal with. Long distance friendships/relationships are not easy. I am not able be as close to many people I would like to be closer with because of the distance between us. As much as we would like to be closer, not living life close to each other creates a significant hindrance in the growth of our relationships. I would like to live life with many different people from many different places, but it is not possible. It can be difficult and costly to follow God’s leading to a distant land. This summer specifically, I missed graduations and marriages of both friends and family.

9) It’s our choice how much we pour ourselves out

This is something we each have to decide as our individual self. It’s interesting seeing many people come and go on trips to El Salvador, because everybody chooses their level of involvement. This goes for all aspects of SHIP: bible studies, community outreach, construction, VBS, cooking, cleaning, socializing. Some people came and jumped into everything, some needed help breaking the ice to jump in, and some let the awkwardness or newness of everything greatly limit their involvement. Seeing this has helped me look at myself and take advantage of more of the opportunities I have been given. We all have a choice in our involvement in what is going on around us.

10) Conflict is inevitable

I wish this lesson was not true, but sadly it is very true. I have a hard time with conflict. I don’t like it and I naturally want to avoid it. Being under authority, doing my job, and living life with the same few people everyday will bring conflict. Sometimes it is very petty and other times it is legit conflict from very different perspectives and approaches. The Bible stresses healthy Christian community as being very important and beneficial. With this in mind, I understand the importance of addressing situations before the conflict is truly divisive. I am not the best at it, but I am learning to confront conflict, and I have seen how doing so has prevented further conflict.

11) Clear communication makes the world a better place

Hah, who would have thought? Authority figures communicating what they want accomplished, clearly, people under authority communicating what they will need or any obstacles, clearly, friends communicating encouraging words, clearly, significant others communicating feelings and intentions, clearly, just to name a few. I’m not talking about complications with English to Spanish or vice versa, I’m talking about clearly communicating to the best of our abilities. Miscommunication is frustrating, and non-communication is painful and damaging. Let’s make the world a better place by communicating clearly with one another.

12) Dangers of being overly work focused, we only have so much we can give

If we spend all day working hard to accomplish the tasks set before us, how can we expect to build relationships with people? I don’t know about you but I am not the most engaging and friendly type of person after working hard all day. I also have a hard time focusing on things like conversations or Bible studies if I’m already exhausted. We only have so much we can give. We have to look at what we want to pour ourselves out for. What is more important, work or people? There is some overlap and both are important, but it’s possible to pour too much out for work that you having nothing left to give people. Work will always be there, people will not. Find a balance.

13) Relationships don’t last forever

This is another lesson I wish were not true. I enjoy people and like having good relationships with them. Some relationships end from death, anger, and hurt, which I understand. I have had a much harder time coming to terms with relationships ending for other reasons, such as physical distance, overly busy schedules, and not enough effort to keep it going. The truth is, there is not enough time in the day and we don’t have enough resources to keep every relationship going strong. Like everything else, we must pick and choose what we will do. We are not permanent for this world and many of our relationships will not last our entire time here in this world. This may seem depressing or morbid, but it’s a reality. Understanding this reality helps me to enjoy the time I am given with the relationships I am able to have. Relationships are not beautiful because they last forever, they are beautiful because they are beautiful. Let’s enjoy them.

14) Effort to understand their culture, rather than change it to match ours, is better

Coming from the United States, many people with SHIP live life very well. Many of the people are successful in family, jobs, finances, and ministry. While there are many things we understand well, we don’t know everything. It is a dangerous mindset to think that we can go to El Salvador and say we know how to live life better than them. Their culture has different approaches to authority and, especially in Christian culture, their authority figures seem very strict and heavy on the rules. Even though I have spent 17 weeks there, I don’t live their lives everyday. I have to understand that they operate in certain ways because it is their culture. I also need to respect their authority and rules, and not aid in undermining their authority figures by helping or encouraging people to break the rules because “They are ridiculous, stupid, and outrageous rules.” Undermining their authority creates a noticeable rift and is damaging to building new relationships. It is not our culture, but that doesn’t make it wrong.

15) No need to be perfect in any ability before sharing them

It’s okay to look like a fool. There is no need to be a soccer pro before jumping into a soccer game. There is no need to be incredible at guitar before talking with the worship leaders. There is no need to have a perfect Bible study laid out before leading a Bible study. There is no need to be a master in construction before helping with construction. Shovels and drills really aren’t complicated. God has given us abilities to share. It’s perfectly okay to not be an expert before sharing our gifts and abilities. It opens up a ton of opportunities to build relationships if we will just get out there and go for it.

16) Life is very hard, we must constantly make choices and sacrifices

Life is, in many ways, miserable. There are so many choices we must make prioritizing one thing over another. There is simply not enough time or resources to be able to do everything. While in El Salvador, I would love to be at all the churches we know, spend time building deep relationships with all the kids/youth, visit all the tourist sights in the country, build houses for everyone in need, learn everything about everything. Some choices are easier to prioritize, but most are not. The Holy Spirit is faithful to guide us in how we should live.

17) How elite I am in this world

Seriously, look at me. I am able-bodied, intelligent, educated, hard-working, and oh so very handsome. I come from a very stable, Christian family. I am from a country with more opportunities than most. My status and upbringing are not common for the world we live in, yet I understand they don’t make me better than anyone else. Learning this has shown me the importance of being diligent and seizing the opportunities God has given me, and using them to further God’s kingdom.

* Many of these lessons are not exclusive to living in a foreign culture *

I have a hard time making this a conclusion blog post. I am truly grateful for the time and opportunities I have had with the people of El Salvador. Thank you to everybody who has helped me be involved with El Salvador. I am not sure when I will be able to return to El Salvador or what that will look like, but I would very much like to continue spending time in El Salvador. I constantly pray that God would give me guidance in my involvement with El Salvador. I ask that you would pray for me as I readjust to living life in Texas. I would like to live in both places but that is simply not possible.

A song I found shortly after returning to Texas after last summer is called, El Salvador, by Phil Joel. I don’t know his story with El Salvador but the lyrics match with many of my experiences and thoughts.

And now for some pictures!!

Stopping by after church to give the Osvaldo, the man
I gave my Bible and cowboy boots to, some food
for him and his daughter.

Gotta get that material up the hill where the house is being built

Playa Atami scenery

Playa Atami scenery

Younger group about to kickoff the soccer tournament

Two teams strategizing how to win the soccer tournament

Soccer tournament

One of the top 2 teams

Me and Josue

The volcano we hiked up

Me and Carlita

Me with Edgar and Bryan

Me with Chico (Francisco) and Hector

Me and Fredis

Pictures for memories on our last night

Me, Beth, and Trey with our new SHIP cups

Playing some Spicy Uno at the beach

Praying with Maria Lydia after finishing her house

After finishing the house for Maria Lydia (in pink)

All the interns after visiting the Union Church

The girls after burning their insecurities
in that skillet during Bible Study

Our group on the trip visiting Cerro Verde,
 where 3 volcanos are located

Girls from the group we took to watch the new
Pirates of the Caribbean

Making friends with the mascot at the
grand opening of Maxi Dispensia

The group that visited and shared at the public school

Picture time after supper

Some of the teenagers SHIP helps go to private school 

Pathway down to one of the
houses we worked on

Installing a window after building the frame

Left to right: Sabrina, Beth, Leon, Juan Carlos, Trey, Ryan, Mary
Noralee is MIA, probably working hard somewhere
David is also MIA, back in the US

How Are You?

What a common question, how are you? Como esta? This question has been hard for me to grasp for the past 6 months or so. It’s not that I’m doing wonderful or terrible, rather, I’m doing both. I don’t know how to answer that question. I am and have been in the middle of many wonderful and terrible events. How about I use some examples over the past couple weeks here in El Salvador…

Wonderful – All the interns are finally here together! Whoop! The final intern arrived almost 2 weeks ago now and we have been without a SHIP group, so it’s just been us. This has given us the opportunity to plan a variety of events to grow closer with each other and encourage one another in life. We are here in El Salvador to reach out to this community and whomever God brings into our path, but we also want to impact and pour into each other’s lives. It would be a shame if we spent all this time together yet didn’t minister to one another as well.

Terrible – Most of the group has been sick or damaged in some way over the past couple weeks. Stomach issues, allergies, congestion, rolled ankles, back pain, headaches, fever, etc. As a whole, it has been hard for us to find good quality rest that totally refreshes us.

Wonderful – We took 12 kids to a waterpark this past Saturday. We weren’t sure how the logistics would work out, but it worked out perfectly. The weather was perfect, the park was fun, the kids had a great time, we played with waterslides and a wavepool, and got to be a “gringo barco”, which means a “white person boat”. All in all, we couldn’t ask for a better time.

Terrible – As we were returning to the SHIP facility after the waterpark adventure, we were met with the news of the loss of one of my friends, Jesus, who lived at the orphanage. This hit me pretty hard because I haven’t connected as much with the people at the orphanage this summer. I would have liked to play my guitar again for my friend. We attended the visitation as well as a graveside funeral. I played “Poderoso”, Spanish version of “Stronger”, by Hillsong United at the visitation. I know I will see my friend again in Heaven, but it still hurts to have lost his presence here.

Wonderful – We took a trip, as interns and leaders, to Cerro Verde. This is a place were there are 3 volcanoes right next to each other. This place was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, even through photos. We stopped about halfway up the middle one and looked out across the valley and over the lake. Absolutely stunning. We explored around the park area, which is the middle one, and then signed up to go on a 4 hour hike to the peak of the next volcano over. They weren’t kidding when they called it a hike. The views and experience made the exhaustion well worth it.

Terrible – There was fog and clouds consistently the whole time we were there. It would break in parts to where we could see some views but they were few and far between. Also about 2 and a half hours into the 4 hour hike, a rain cloud came over the volcano and absolutely soaked everyone and everything. The altitude makes it significantly colder as well, probably mid 60s, not really ideal for being wet. So we got soaked and had to be soaked for a long time, while we were still at the volcano and for the 1 and a half hour drive back to the SHIP facility.

Wonderful – Though we were near the top of a volcano in a rainstorm, we enjoyed ourselves in a way. We would have preferred better weather but a thought came into my head when we started our descent, how much closer can you get to God’s power than being inside a raincloud? We weren’t under a raincloud, we were inside it. I was with Juan Carlos and Beth the majority of the descent and we had a good time. We would not have chosen those circumstances, but because of them, we bonded in a better way. We were making jokes and laughing and encouraging one another during the descent. It was an enjoyable time. Not comfortable but still very enjoyable.

Wonderful – We took 14 of the older kids to the movies this past Wednesday. We watched the newest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. It was a pretty good movie and we had a good time with the kids. The only thing we might have changed was the day, we did it the same day as our volcano trip so it was a very long day.

Wonderful – I had the opportunity of being in charge of everything for one week. This meant being the lead intern who guides and keeps things moving forward. I was given this responsibility as an opportunity to gain experience in being a leader. None of our events or plans really changed, but I was in charge of getting things moving each and every day. This also involved leading the group meetings where we were choosing work projects and activities. I learned a great deal about what it is like to be a leader and how to provide guidance and direction for others I am working alongside.

Terrible – I was given this responsibility the day I began getting sick. I wasn’t majorly sick but I was maybe at 75%. Also, my personality and scars from past relationships ending make it very difficult for me to be confrontational. Any moment where I had to settle a split decision or tell someone to focus or pick up the pace brought me a anxiety because my mind tells me that moment will be the ending of another relationship. I know this is not the truth, but my mind and body tell me every confrontational situation is going to be the end of a relationship. I did not realize how much stress and pressure I had put myself under until I passed the leadership responsibility back to Leon. That day I slowly realized how depleted I was, emotionally and physically. I’m grateful for the opportunity, but it was a rough week for me. I am happy I went through it though.

Wonderful – I got to see the man I gave my Bible and cowboy boots to again 2 Sundays ago. We went to visit the church near his house again because they were having a 20^th year celebration service. They gave us each a plate of food afterward and we stopped by this man’s home on the way out of the neighborhood to give him our food for him and his family. It brought us both happiness to see each other again, if only for a moment. I am grateful to see how God has used me to encourage this man toward seeking God. I am praying for another opportunity to see this man again before I return to Texas in 3 weeks.

Wonderful – We built a house! We had the opportunity to choose a work project and to make it happen. It took about 3 and a half days of work from start to finish once we’d chosen to do this project. It was a lot of work but we meshed well as a group and got to enjoy the company of a couple local families who were helping us.

Wonderful – Another group arrived! I’m excited to see what God will do through us this week and how He will draw us closer to one another.

How are you, you ask? I still don’t know how to answer that. I’m not sure if I ever will be able to find a great answer. I don’t believe this phenomenon will ever change either, that life is full of both wonderful and terrible events. All in all, I’m grateful I am alive and that God is using me, all of me and my qualities, even my insecurities. I think I found a fitting song for this blog post, called Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly), by Sanctus Real.

It's time for healing time to move on

It's time to fix what's been broken too long

Time make right what has been wrong

It's time to find my way to where I belong

There's a wave that's crashing over me

All I can do is surrender

[Chorus]

Whatever you're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos somehow there's peace

It's hard to surrender to what I can't see

but I'm giving in to something heavenly

Time for a milestone

Time to begin again

Reevaluate who I really am

Am I doing everything to follow your will

or just climbing aimlessly over these hills

So show me what it is you want from me

I give everything I surrender...

To...

[Chorus]

Time to face up

Clean this old house

Time to breathe in and let everything out

That I've wanted to say for so many years

Time to to release all my held back tears

Whatever you're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos but I believe

You're up to something bigger than me

Larger than life something heavenly

Whatever you're doing inside of me

It feels like chaos but now I can see

This something bigger than me

Larger than life something heavenly

Something heavenly

It's time to face up

Clean this old house

Time breathe in and let everything out

Us with the group of younger kids at the waterpark.

Us in front of the house we built for Maria Lydia (in pink)

Me and my friend Josue who helped us build the house

Some of our group part way up the volcano.

The volcano we hiked up.

Volcano we hiked up as viewed from Cerro Verde Park, which is also a volcano.

Closer view of the crater.

Welcome to Cerro Verde Park, a dream in paradise.

Our view during a semi clear moment during the hike.

Another view during a semi clear moment during the hike.

One of the pizzas we made. Ceramic tiles can function as pizza stones.

All the interns after visiting Union Church, a church composed of missionaries in El Salvador.

Our group halfway up Cerro Verde overlooking Lake Coatepeque

Who You Want To Be

Okay, first things first, the wonderful Mrs. Noralee Moore made some great food tonight. She made grilled chicken with some broccoli and cauliflower topped with some terrific cheese sauce. She said it wouldn’t be anything worth writing home about but that’s just not true. You’ve got to be an intern to experience her cooking though because, “I don’t cook for the groups, only when there’s no groups.” That’s reason enough to be an intern.

 “This is your life, are you who you want to be? Is it everything you dreamed that it would be when the world was younger and you had everything to lose?” This is the chorus to This is Your Life, by Switchfoot. If you are a Christian, you may read this and be offended because of verses like Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” According to the verse, it is no longer our life if we are following Jesus. How can you be who you want to be and still be a Christian? The answer is simple; God gives you a new heart and changes you through the Holy Spirit. God reveals to us a better life with a better perspective and purpose. Why would we choose to live a life expecting this broken world we live in to ever make us complete or satisfied? Why would we choose brokenness over perfection? Only the eternal God can satisfy and complete us. For clarities sake, I’m talking about characteristics you hold as a person, not status or location. We have a significant impact on our personal growth. We choose each and every day how we want to live. Do you want to be a person who trusts God and takes action? You make choices everyday on remaining still or moving forward. It is miserably difficult and often exhausting to face your demons, giants, strongholds, insecurities, or whatever you want to call them. Do you want to continue carrying them or do you want to be free from them? This is your life, are you who you want to be?

“Love must be sincere, Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”   

     -Romans 12:9-16

These verses show that our life is not about us, but everything we do should be about God and pointing people to Jesus.

We will never reach perfection on this earth, but that is not a valid excuse to ignore and accept our insecurities as permanent. Long story short, I struggle with depression that is rooted in relationships ending in a way where I am given the message that I am simply not worth the time or effort of those other people. I can trace the beginnings back to junior high, even though I didn’t have any breakdown or deep depression until 2 ½ years ago. I still have to struggle against returning to that place when relationships end, even if everything ended well. It is a scar that I have. I don’t want to be insecure with relationships coming to an end. I hate that it makes me slow to engage people. I hate that it makes me shy away from confrontational conversations that need to happen. I hate that it makes me not be playful, sassy, engaging, sing, dance, and in general, share the contagious joy God has given me. I hate that it makes me hesitate to start new relationships wholeheartedly. I hate that it takes so long for me to be myself around other people. I hate that I am insecure with relationships coming to an end. I want it to be gone. I often wonder if it ever will be gone. I look at the progress I have made over the past couple years and am encouraged because I see change. I am by no means past it, but I see that God is working on freeing me from these insecurities and scars. It is not easy and I have not seen rapid change occurring overnight, but I see change. Slow and steady, patiently persevering because I want to be that man God is leading me to be. This is your life are you who you want to be?

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

     -Romans 15:13

This is your life, are you who you want to be? If not, then why? Do you feel you can’t change, that you can’t overcome? God gives us significant power.

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

     -Romans 8:25-27

God wants to help us be past our insecurities. He cares about us. It will be uncomfortable and outside our comfort zone but it will be worth it. I have never known God to fall short in my life. How much do you want to be past your insecurities? That is a question you have to ask yourself each and every day.

Ok, so how does this relate to me being in El Salvador? Well it doesn’t relate to much of anything specific. Nothing unexpected anyway. A group has just left so I am faced with fighting off depression because of relationships ending. I may get to stay in touch with some friends I made these past couple weeks, but it will be the last time for some of them. I have to constantly remind myself that my identity is in Jesus and lean on Him to save me from myself. God save me from myself, such a difficult situation being in need of rescue from my own tendencies and past.

Can I change? Can you change?

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

     -2 Timothy 1:7

Yes, we can change when we rely on God. God did not give us a spirit so weak that we could not get past our insecurities, He gave us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. Have courage to become who God has made you to be. All the seemingly minor changes or battles add up to a significant change. Slow and steady, patiently persevering through your life to become that person. Be deliberate in your decisions, you decide who and what you will run to when you face those demons, giants, strongholds, or insecurities. Press forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx9RcI_EueM

Confusion Without Losing Effectiveness

I have spent this day living inside a hole. No really, I spent the majority of my hours today inside a hole attempting to make it larger. I’m not sure how it worked but we always seemed to need 2 feet wider. So maybe I just don’t know how to dig holes. There’s a good chance I’ll be back in that hole tomorrow, but hopefully we will finish it. This hole will be home to a septic system at some point.

            A hole isn’t all that’s been going on since my last post. A large group from Oklahoma and Texas has been here this week. I have enjoyed working alongside everyone and getting to exchange stories. We have also been playing an unhealthy amount of cards, specifically 99 and Spicy Uno. Our work projects have been focused on making progress on a couple duplexes across the valley from SHIP. Electric lines and poles have been hung, holes have been dug, plumbing has been worked on, and preparations for putting the metal roof on tomorrow has happened this week. We had a wonderful crowd for our outreach this week, about 100 people, accompanied by talented musicians/singers, powerful testimonies, and a powerful message brought by people within the team. God has been present and moving here in El Salvador. The Bible studies have had similar qualities. We also hosted our first soccer tournament and had a great turnout. It was a good, healthy community event that had no squabbles or major problems. Everything here at SHIP in El Salvador has been going well and is continuing to share God’s love and truth with the people in this community. Lives are being touched.

            That’s the “effectiveness” part of the title, now I will share about the confusion. This internship experience has been a lot more confusing compared to last summer. The confusion lies within what the internship is about and what responsibilities the interns have. The majority of this results from having more interns than previous years, allowing the interns be further involved in all aspects of SHIP. This would be VBS, Bible studies, organizing outreach, planning and implementing community events, and taking care of everything to be fully prepared for SHIP trippers. There has been a lot of confusion of which responsibilities we are in charge of and how far that responsibility goes within each area of SHIP. I’m not going to share details because I don't want to glorify or encourage any division based on opinions, but suffice it to say, there has been some noticeable tension. This is the 4^th year of internships, so it is still a work in progress. The tension has subsided some and everyone is trying to work through understanding and communicating everything about the internship program.

            What I want to point out is that though there have been some issues rise up, SHIP is still functioning well and we are reaching the community around us. We put our focus and trust in God. This feels like a direct attack from Satan as he is trying to get us angry and impatient with one another. Satan wants us to lose our focus and our effectiveness. BUT HE IS NOT STOPPING OUR EFFECTIVENESS

I forgot a song last blog so I’ve got 2 for this one:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmm8ETk70lg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR5IoWH9OiI

Ask And You Will Receive

Take delight in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

     -Psalm 37:4

 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

    -Matthew 7:7-12

     I’ve got a story to tell about our trip to visit a church on Wednesday. We went to a church about 20 minutes from where we live. We pulled into the street of the neighborhood, which is a street because of an abandoned railroad track, and I saw a man standing next to a wall. This man had several tattoos and a large scar on his arm. Something grabbed my attention so I looked a second time at him once we had passed, and I felt God was telling me I would speak with this man before I left after church and that I would leave my boots with him. He was a good ways from the church so I prayed that if it were truly something from God then I would have a chance to talk with this man. During the church service I started having different verses pop in my head and I felt God telling me to give my bible, which is English and Spanish, to this man. I would underline the verse and then stick a folded piece of paper to mark the page. Romans 10:13, Romans 6:23, John 14:6, and John 3:16. These verses came to me throughout the talk and I continued to mark them. The church service was wonderful and the church fed us pupusas afterwards. We then headed out to pray for Maynard, a church leader, and his wife who will find out in September if she has cancer. His house was back toward the entrance of the neighborhood, back just past where the man with the tattoos was before. I did not see him but I was praying for an opportunity. We went inside Maynard’s house and prayed for healing for his wife. We were talking after our prayer and I approached Leon and said I needed to go back down the street to give my bible to a man. He said I needed someone to go with me so Maynard and Juan Carlos, my wonderful friend, roommate, and very good translator, came with me. The man with tattoos lives just a few houses down so we went and asked for him. He came out and I told him I had two gifts for him. I said I believe God has brought me from Texas to give you this bible, and I explained how I had underlined and marked a few verses. I then tried to get him to read Romans 10:13, but he said he could not read. This threw me off because I had felt so guided to give him this bible, yet he couldn’t read it. I then asked Juan Carlos to read it. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” I said this is the truth. I also pointed him to Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He teared up a little and shared that he had heard about Jesus and looked to Christianity while he was in prison but had walked away from it since being out. He also said there were people there who could read this bible to him and he would share what I had told him with his household. I could see the Holy Spirit moving in him and pulling him toward God. I told him that God wants to know him and God wants you to give your life to Him, every part of your life. I took off my boots and told him I believe God wants me to give you these boots and this bible. We said Dios lo bendiga, God bless you, and parted ways. I don’t know the significance of this meeting to his life and it is quite likely I may never see this man again, but I am certain God led me to this man. I don’t know why I was supposed to give him my bible with those verses or my boots either, but I know it was supposed to happen. I pray that God will continue to pursue this man and that he would put his hope and trust in Jesus.

     The best I understand is that this man has been part of the gangs for a long time, though his responsibilities have changed. Before, I’m not sure when but before, he would have been involved with taking orders and completing tasks given to him, and maybe giving orders. Potentially he would have been involved as a lookout man or a hitman. I don’t know what but he had to be in prison for something. Now his responsibility is more like a doorman, guarding the territory not out of expectation of violence, just to have a presence saying this is “their” territory. I am grateful for this encounter because it lines up with the vision of SHIP, and with Leon in particular, to reach the gangs of El Salvador. I believe God is using our presence in El Salvador to make this a reality.

     I titled this “Ask And You Will Receive” because I, and we as a group, have been praying for God to show us who we need to talk to and that He would bring people into our paths. That’s exactly what happened! I would encourage you to do the same. Ask God to move in your life and He surely will! It most likely won’t be how you picture it to happen, but it will happen!