A Beautiful Day of Construction for a Beautiful Family

Blog post written by Victoria Asciuto (Senior at Crean Lutheran High School, Irvine)

Today we had the opportunity to begin construction of a concrete home for a beautiful family. I had been anxious to build a house.  I had no idea what to expect, but knew we were serving a special family that deserved this house. After a two hour bus ride to the village (a few minutes away from the border of Guatemala) we were introduced to the Hernandez family: Oswaldo, Iris, and their precious sons Eric, Vladimir, Willfredo and Freddie. As each member of the family introduced themselves, their faces lit up with joy. As much as I was excited to help with the construction of the home, I was even more excited to speak with them because I am fluent in Spanish. 

After shoveling and cutting wire I saw Iris standing alone, eagerly observing the team building her home. I excitedly approached her, hoping to bond with her. I introduced myself and her face seemed surprised. She asked me “You speak Spanish?” We began talking and she told me the story of her family. Her oldest son Eric had battled Leukemia for two years and is currently cancer free. She told me that it was so hard to see her precious son go through an experience like that, but she had faith in God that everything would be ok. When I was about Eric’s age I had battled cancer as well.  As soon as I told her I was cancer survivor we instantly clicked. We both agreed that no matter who you are or where you are from, we all face problems that money cannot fix. She suddenly began to tear up and I asked what was wrong. She said, “I would never think that Americans would be building a home for my family and I…this is truly a miracle. I cannot thank your team enough for coming and changing our lives”.  She was such a beautiful woman of God who found joy in the most simple things. I began to thank God for giving me the gift to speak Spanish and connect with the people of El Salvador. 

At the end of the day we formed an assembly line and moved tons of cinder blocks.  It was incredible to see how much we accomplished together. Over the next two days the family will continue to work on the home and we'll return on Thursday.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us then!

Homeless But Not Hopeless

Blog written by Zach Pierce (Senior at Northwood High School, Irvine)

Last night we went out to feed some of the homeless people that were wandering the streets of El Salvador. None of us knew what to expect but we knew that this night was going to have an impact on our lives. We were right.  Here’s how the night went: to start out, we formed the most efficient sandwich making assembly line in the history of El Salvador mission trips, with each person having their own task that that they were in charge of. On any other day, I would consider making 100 to 200 sandwiches as a rather tedious task, but it ended up being a great time together. By the time we packed the last bag, about thirty minutes had passed. The meals consisted of a bologna sandwich, chips, cookies, a juice box, a handsome supply of napkins, and an apple.

At about 9:30, we hit the streets. About twelve members of the team, along with two translators, crammed into the back of the truck. It was a tight squeeze. Before we took off, the translators informed us on what specifically our job was on this little trip. They explained to us that we are here only to give and the only time we mention God will be after we give them when we say “Dios te bendiga” (God bless you). Personally, I knew there were a lot of homeless people on the streets but I really didn’t know exactly how many to expect. We didn’t have to drive far to find our first person. We yelled “comida” (food) and he sprinted right over. I was expecting the whole night to have similar encounters throughout the night and I was actually starting to wonder if we would even give out the food. Then we stopped by some more populated homeless areas and we even saw people running from hundreds of feet away just for a meal. We fed everyone regardless of his or her situation. They could be young, old, a drug addict, an alcoholic, or handicapped. Everyone was equal in the eyes of God and therefore everyone got to eat.

There was one moment that touched the team and me more than the others. We drove past one of the business districts and saw three homeless people sleeping in front of a row of stores. It rained sporadically throughout the night so they were just trying to get some sleep in a dry space. As we got closer, it was apparent that one of the people was not a middle-aged man or woman similar to most of the people we had seen. He was a young boy who looked about 12 or 13. When our translator woke him up, he seemed disoriented and really out of it. He looked nothing like the smiling kids we had played with early that day at the orphanage. He looked broken. Apparently, Kurt knew this boy. He had been in and out of homes because he would always run away. He would brag to his friends about how great life outside the homes was. It didn’t seem like this was a life to brag about. Personally, I began to think about what this kid does during the day and what motivates him to get up in the morning. It was a depressing image to say the least. 

People in the meeting afterwards described what they saw as hopeless and I agreed. I am sure it was a great blessing to most of those people, but it was just one meal. The most important thing I hope the homeless realize through the meals is that there is hope because God loves everyone. I hope that the people understand that we are giving them food in the name of the Lord and that even though their situation seems inescapable, the Lord has a plan for them. It might be easy for these people to hate God and therefore it was admirable and somewhat comforting that a lot of them said “God bless you” with such passion when they received the food. Those were the type of people that inspired hope in the community. It was an eye opening experience for everyone and I am very thankful I got to be a part of it. 

Slam Dunk for the Lord

Blog post written by Amanda Deal

Today was our first official day in El Salvador. We began the day with breakfast and our first team meeting.  Jenni encouraged us with the parable of “The Sheep and the Goats” from the book of Matthew. Although we are here blessing the people of El Salvador, we are ultimately serving Christ by helping His people.  

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me".

Afterwards, we loaded the van for church. Upon arrival, we were greeted with beautiful smiles and welcoming words from the people of “Iglesia Monte Calvario.” Although this was my third time visiting, the church's passion and hunger for Jesus still encouraged and challenged me. We joined the church in worship and prayer over the needs of their country. Jenni had the opportunity to provide a visual demonstration of the world’s religious demographics. She encouraged the church and our team to respond to God’s call to pray, love, and share the gospel to those who do not yet know Jesus. After church, we had an opportunity to respond to God’s call.

We enjoyed a meal at the infamous Pollo Campero and then headed to the boys’ orphanage. This was my first time visiting the center and I was eager to spend time with the young group of boys who lived there. After a quick tour around the orphanage, we were quickly enthralled in an intense game of "futbol": the Gringos vs. the El Salvadorians. I loved watching the boys in their natural element. You could tell how much they loved the game, and, even more, how much they loved spending time with our team. Lucky for me, there was a basketball court right next to the soccer field. For those of you who don’t know, I am a basketball player. We were able to purchase two basketballs to give to the boys since they did not have any. As I began to introduce one of my favorite games, God decided to bring us all inside for something greater.
 

As it started to rain, we ran into the boys’ dorm area. I had the opportunity to share my testimony. I began talking about my first love: basketball. I explained to the boys that basketball provided an outlet for me through difficult times of trial in my life. I shared stories about my basketball experiences, the teams I played with, and all the incredible opportunities I had through my 16 years of playing. I then went on to share my experience with my ultimate love and the best team I’ve ever been on (playing for God).  I told the boys about my relationship with Christ. I explained that although basketball has filled my life with joy, the joy I receive from God’s promises, grace, and love surpasses any basket I’ve ever made or any game I’ve ever won. I was followed by “the Doctor” (Thomas), “the Gangster” (Stephanie), and “the Pastor” (David). Each of us were able to tell our stories and reveal different aspects of our Father God. Many of the boys were led to raise their hands and commit their lives to Jesus. We were able to pray over them and sing praise to our Lord in both Spanish and English.

Although I enjoyed playing basketball with the boys, I am forever blessed by the opportunity I had to share Jesus with them. Today was a slam dunk for the Lord.  

*Note - we are unable to post close photos of the boys from this center.

 Please pray for these precious boys and for long term solutions, 

healing for their families and their ongoing walks with the Lord. 

Safe and Sound

We are here!  Our team had an uneventful day of travel and arrived into San Salvador around 9 pm.

After a yummy pizza dinner, we had an orientation of the mission house and reviewed the week's schedule.  We have an amazing week planned... here's a brief synopsis:

Sunday - Church, visit a boys' orphanage, feed the homeless in the evening
Monday - Begin construction on the concrete home (near the border of Guatemala)
Tuesday - Visit 3 special needs homes, feed the homeless in the evening
Wednesday - Take the kids from the government center to a water park
Thursday - Complete construction & dedicate home
Friday - Beach day, pupusa dinner & re-entry training
Saturday- Return home