This Central American life...

This is my last view of El Salvador.

 

These girls lived at the house where we were digging. A-dorable!

This family was the recipient of the first latrine we dug. They were very excited and overwhelmed and embarassed to have their picture taken.

My last couple of weeks in El Salvador were pretty incredible.

I went back to Abelines, this time with Daniel there, and we were able to dig a few latrines and I got the chance to re-connect with Reina and her family. I had purchased some food for her and gave it to her local church so that they could be the ones to give it.  I think that through that experience I could clearly see the vision of Enlace and the vision of what types of ministry I want to be involved in the future.  What good is it if I roll through town and give Reina a big bag of food and gifts? Sure I feel good about the interaction, and I get those warm fuzzies, but I am not empowering the local church to be effective in their own community.

Instead, it was a gift given by the church and now the relationship between Reina and her church is stronger and I am thousands of miles away.

So, the next step for me is here in California. I am on the job hunt and am also looking for a place to live. My parents are being very kind by letting me live in the living room until I find a place of my own.

It was hard to leave El Salvador but I do feel the sense of a chapter being closed for right now.  That is not to say that I will never return to Central America, or even El Salvador for that matter, but that I am exactly where God wants me right now.

I will continue to support Enlace as a ministry and I might even be able to convince some friends to go down and dig a latrine!

I will keep blogging since it is cheaper than therapy and it has also become a great way to keep in contact with so many loved ones.

I will keep you posted....

Culture shock comes in waves.

Well friends and family I have arrived home from El Salvador, onto the next chapter.

I still need to post some last pics and tell a few stories, but if you could be praying that God provides a job and a place to live, that's kind of what I am going through right now.

I know He has EVERYTHING under control and that I have none, and that works for me.

So far the things that are overwhelming are things like clean lettuce and spinach and the size of my kitchen. Every time I go in there I feel like royalty and think of the kitchens in the communities I spent so much time in. I wish I could invite Pastor Miguel and Noe over for dinner!

Keep in touch and I will continue to blog, cause it's cheaper than therapy!