Normally, when I return home from a trip I write a thank you/follow up note to my supporters. When I started writing this one, after the introduction, I was a little stuck, I didnt know what to say. This trip was different, and I didnt want to just write about all the nice happy times that I played with kids. I just wanted to share this with you, maybe to give some insight as to what I was processing through throughout the trip.
Dearest Friends and Family,
I will start this note with the same greeting as the past one, “I hope this finds you and your loved ones doing well, basking in the light of the Lord. I am excited to hear the stories of what He is doing in your life, and am excited to share my own.” I am very excited to hear how the Lord has been moving in each of your lives and I continue to pray that the Lord rains down blessings on you and your loved ones.
My time in El Salvador was…This is where I draw a blank. I do not know if I could find the words to describe my time in El Salvador. I wish I could just gush about how wonderful it was and how God’s grace was abundant. Instead, I am still learning what it means to be taught by God. My time in El Salvador was tougher than I thought it would be. Many days I had to really seek what the Lord’s calling for me was that day and press to see it through. I am still learning about what it means to be a servant, doing something for the Kingdom despite it being hard, even if you see no gratification from it. Joy should not come from being able to count the “Thank you’s” or to be praised, but to know, in your heart, that you are doing God’s will. Anything else is just an added gift.
Albeit my time was not always easy, I grew. Every day I can see the impact in ways great and small. One of the ministries that had the greatest effect on me was a nearby community called “Bendicion de Dios” or Blessing of God. This community is located in one of the more dangerous parts of San Salvador. It is much improvised and there is a lot of spiritual darkness that presents itself in the attitudes and home lives of the people who live there (left). Three days a week I would go to this community to teach English. I loved my time there. More than teaching English we were there to encourage the youth of the community: ask them about their days, listen to what they have to say, and encourage them. Slowly over time, I realized that maybe teaching English was not the most important thing I could do for these young people, but more just to love them, push them to think bigger than their lives and their community.
Despite their situation, this community was, to me, an example of hope. I was continually inspired by the potential that dwelled in this place. Hope for something better, hope for something more. I am daily praying for this community, and I invite you to join me. Pray that the children can understand how precious and wonderfully made they are. That they can choose not to be like their parents, and I pray that they continue to seek this hope and see just what the power of Christ can do for them, to bring them out of this darkness and oppression.
I look back over the past few months and see that the Lord was moving in my own life, as well as the lives of those around me. I want to thank you, truly, for how you have impacted my life. Thank you for seeking the plans that have been laid on your life, and following through with courage and boldness. I am constantly encouraged my each one of you.
I want to close with a quote from a devotional I have been working through. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young states, “The vast ocean of Love cannot be measured or explained, but it can be experienced.” I hope that we can continue to learn from each moment in our lives, and desire to seek the love and grace of the Lord.
May you be covered in the dust of our Savior,
Annie
The Spirit and the bride say, “come!” And let him who hears say, “come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22:17
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
A thought from a book
I found this really old blog that i had written back in July. I feel it is still applicable so here it is.
I am reading the book More Than Equals by Spencer Perkins and Chris Rice. This book focuses a lot on racial reconciliation, specifically between blacks and whites and how Christianity in American has been affected by the issue of race. It frequently states how the issue is a “we’ve come so far” or a “not yet” issue. Either praised for its comparison to the past or the realization that the gorge has yet to be crossed, in that we still have such a long way to go in such examples as “why are most institutions, for example the church, still predominately separated into black or white communities?”
One of the focal points of the book is the backbone to the Christian faith, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” The following section is passage from the book: (p 65-66)
“but in this story [the story of the Good Samaritan] Jesus says that our neighbors are especially those people who ignore us, those people who separate themselves from us, those people who are afraid of us, those people we have the most difficulty loving and those people we feel don’t love us.”
“And who is my neighbor?”
“The question has much to say about the priority we place on loving people who are different from ourselves, especially as it relates to our eternal future. It doesn’t take much imagination for each of us to figure out who Jesus would use as an example of ‘neighbor’ in our towns and cities.
For an Israeli, how about a Palestinian?
For an Arab, how about a Jew?
For a rich white, how about a black welfare mother?
For a poor white, how about a middle-class black who go where he is through affirmative action?
For a black male, how about a white male-better yet, a pickup-driving, gunrack-toting, tobacco-chewing, baseball-cap-wearing white man who still refers to a black man as ‘boy’?
For a feminist, how about an insensitive, domineering male chauvinist?
For a suburban white family, how about the new black or Hispanic family that moved in down the street?
For all of us, how about the unmotivated, undisciplined, uneducated poor? Or an AIDS victim who contracted HIV not through a transfusion but through homosexual activity or intravenous drug use?”
I found this whole section very enlightening as I was reading through. I originally thought about the children and the people I minister here in El Salvador, those are the ones that I consider my neighbor. The ones abandoned and fallen to the wayside. But then I thought again, about how easy it was for me to love those people and how much I enjoy helping and serving and building relation with them. Then I decided to honestly try to answer the question, and the response that I came up with was those perceived “snotty rich kids that have never had to work a day in their lives” kids.
Who would Jesus use as the neighbor if he were speaking to you?
I am reading the book More Than Equals by Spencer Perkins and Chris Rice. This book focuses a lot on racial reconciliation, specifically between blacks and whites and how Christianity in American has been affected by the issue of race. It frequently states how the issue is a “we’ve come so far” or a “not yet” issue. Either praised for its comparison to the past or the realization that the gorge has yet to be crossed, in that we still have such a long way to go in such examples as “why are most institutions, for example the church, still predominately separated into black or white communities?”
One of the focal points of the book is the backbone to the Christian faith, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” The following section is passage from the book: (p 65-66)
“but in this story [the story of the Good Samaritan] Jesus says that our neighbors are especially those people who ignore us, those people who separate themselves from us, those people who are afraid of us, those people we have the most difficulty loving and those people we feel don’t love us.”
“And who is my neighbor?”
“The question has much to say about the priority we place on loving people who are different from ourselves, especially as it relates to our eternal future. It doesn’t take much imagination for each of us to figure out who Jesus would use as an example of ‘neighbor’ in our towns and cities.
For an Israeli, how about a Palestinian?
For an Arab, how about a Jew?
For a rich white, how about a black welfare mother?
For a poor white, how about a middle-class black who go where he is through affirmative action?
For a black male, how about a white male-better yet, a pickup-driving, gunrack-toting, tobacco-chewing, baseball-cap-wearing white man who still refers to a black man as ‘boy’?
For a feminist, how about an insensitive, domineering male chauvinist?
For a suburban white family, how about the new black or Hispanic family that moved in down the street?
For all of us, how about the unmotivated, undisciplined, uneducated poor? Or an AIDS victim who contracted HIV not through a transfusion but through homosexual activity or intravenous drug use?”
I found this whole section very enlightening as I was reading through. I originally thought about the children and the people I minister here in El Salvador, those are the ones that I consider my neighbor. The ones abandoned and fallen to the wayside. But then I thought again, about how easy it was for me to love those people and how much I enjoy helping and serving and building relation with them. Then I decided to honestly try to answer the question, and the response that I came up with was those perceived “snotty rich kids that have never had to work a day in their lives” kids.
Who would Jesus use as the neighbor if he were speaking to you?
Saturday, August 7, 2010
still around!
O goodness, I have not blogged in such a long time.
So I reached Nicaragua yesterday. It was a struggle but I was about the take the bus 13 hours through central america, 3 countries, sola. But i met some really wonderful people and God really blessed what i would was a bad situation about to turn south. But that is another story.
In El Salvador, I was asked to write a bio about the lady that I stayed with. I thought I would also post it here.
I stayed with a wonderful woman named Maria Lusia Sura:
Maria Luisa lives by herself in her beautiful house, which is located in the neighborhood of Soyapango, a part of San Salvador. She is a 4th grade teacher at the school Siloe, where she has worked for 2 years. She says that she loves working with the children. She received her degree from a university here in San Salvador, and has 4 certificates in different areas of education. She worked as an elementary school teacher for over 35 years before retiring but then deciding to return to teaching after 5 years. She has 3 children, 2 daughters and 1 son, all of which have grown up and are married, and has 4 grandchildren. Two of her children live in the United States, her daughter lives in Richmond, VA and her son in Los Angeles, CA. Although Maria Luisa does not speak English, she is always very patient with others who are learning Spanish. During her free time she enjoys gardening, listening to worship music, cooking and playing with her grandson who lives in San Salvador, Josito who is 4 ½. Her favorite books of the bible are Romans, Ephesians, and Philippians.
I asked her what else she would like people to know about her and she said: “My house is very relaxing, I like to lie in my hammock and look at the sky. My favorite food is fruit, I eat a lot of fruit. It is such a blessing to have people come and stay at my house, and I think that it is a way that I can serve the Lord.”
Maria Luisa is always a teacher, when I showed her what I had written about her, she told me to double space it so it looks nicer.
So I reached Nicaragua yesterday. It was a struggle but I was about the take the bus 13 hours through central america, 3 countries, sola. But i met some really wonderful people and God really blessed what i would was a bad situation about to turn south. But that is another story.
In El Salvador, I was asked to write a bio about the lady that I stayed with. I thought I would also post it here.
I stayed with a wonderful woman named Maria Lusia Sura:
Maria Luisa lives by herself in her beautiful house, which is located in the neighborhood of Soyapango, a part of San Salvador. She is a 4th grade teacher at the school Siloe, where she has worked for 2 years. She says that she loves working with the children. She received her degree from a university here in San Salvador, and has 4 certificates in different areas of education. She worked as an elementary school teacher for over 35 years before retiring but then deciding to return to teaching after 5 years. She has 3 children, 2 daughters and 1 son, all of which have grown up and are married, and has 4 grandchildren. Two of her children live in the United States, her daughter lives in Richmond, VA and her son in Los Angeles, CA. Although Maria Luisa does not speak English, she is always very patient with others who are learning Spanish. During her free time she enjoys gardening, listening to worship music, cooking and playing with her grandson who lives in San Salvador, Josito who is 4 ½. Her favorite books of the bible are Romans, Ephesians, and Philippians.
I asked her what else she would like people to know about her and she said: “My house is very relaxing, I like to lie in my hammock and look at the sky. My favorite food is fruit, I eat a lot of fruit. It is such a blessing to have people come and stay at my house, and I think that it is a way that I can serve the Lord.” Maria Luisa is always a teacher, when I showed her what I had written about her, she told me to double space it so it looks nicer.
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