Hello all,
Sorry for the lack of update in the last few days. Most of the reason for my writing slump is that at precisely 10:32 pm on Monday evening the Hilton Princess decided to start charging $3 an hour for internet service. I know the precise time because I was in the midst of a video chat with Nicholas…haha. His face froze all cute, it was pretty funny! Needless to say, I’ve been getting creative in finding wireless internet networks. Surprisingly, both the McDonalds and Quizno’s down the street have wireless connection. In addition, I’m currently on some boot leg connection in the hotel lobby. Crazy El Salvador…haha.
As far as ministry goes, this week has been great. We are working on two universities: Universidad Evangélica and Universidad José Matías Delgado. Evangélica just started its semester on Tuesday, so we’ve been working hard to get the word out about Vida Estudiantil (Latin American Crusade). I’ve had some very meaningful conversations with Salvadorian students, using Soularium and sharing our own experiences of relationships with Christ. Today I talked with 7 different girls about who we are, and more importantly, who God is and how much he desires to have a restored relationship with us through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ. It’s been weird not needing an interpreter while I’ve been sharing the gospel. But interpreting for others is definitely tiring! Its a challenge switching my brain from Spanish to English.
Here’s an amazing story of how the Lord has been faithful to me: Yesterday, before going out for our first day of “sharing” at Evangélica, I prayed that July 2, 2008 would be my first day to share the gospel in Spanish. It has been a vision of mine for 5 years now, since I went to Quito, Ecuador for my first Latin American missions trip. I was praying in a lounge area on the 11th floor of the hotel, and when I was done praying, I went out to the elevator to go back to my room. I asked for the time from a hotel worker who was nearby, and soon after he asked me why I was here in El Salvador (a frequent question for blonde young women). I got an immediate chance to share about Vida Estudiantil and it led into my first gospel presentation alone in Spanish. An immediate answer to prayer! The worker, it turns out, is a believer and quoted some of the same scripture I was ready to quote to him. Wow. What an encouragement, and what a big God we serve!
Team is great. Loving everything about it. My teammate Amy has been sick for the last few days, so that has been a bummer. She slept all day today, but is still without a voice and in and out of fever. Bummer. And she sleeps in my room 
Pray for health for my whole team. Also pray for Damarys, a girl I shared my testimony with today. I shared some areas of sin in my own life that I’ve hardly ever shared with anyone (talk about Christ being strong in our weakness). She used to believe in Christ, and have a relationship with him but fell away after she felt judged for questioning moral standards held by Christians. She doesn’t see her need for God, and feels that she can enjoy life better alone than under the guidance given by the Lord. Also pray that I get my laundry back! I put it all in a plastic bag today and trusted Manuel (our head Vida Estudiantil staffer) to drop it off at a lavandería and to bring it back to me who knows when. Oh well. Haha.
Thank you so much for holding me up in prayer. It has been so great to know that this trip is so prayed over. Pray for direction for our team, that we would be able to reach out to students, connect them with Vida Estudiantil and that we could do follow up with the 4 students we have already seen come to know Christ as the risen Lord! Something else cool, I got to talk with my sister today….so great. She has been a little homesick, but is adjusting well to live in Central America (for those of you who don’t know, she’s here in San Salvador for 10 days with a group called Teen Mania/Global Expeditions). She has done some drama and service ministry, and practicing Spanish (the next bilingual Kelly?). It was so sweet to hear her voice. Pray that she can set her homesickness aside and that we might be able to cross paths in the next week. It would be a great refresher for the both of us. Also pray for the Salvadorian staff, Manuel and Ceci, Lio and Luchi, Selegna (my personal fav., and a recent transplant from Panama), as well as some of our student help…Xavier, Juan, Andrea and Julio. They are a huge blessing in their translating, and in showing us around and making us feel welcome.
Last thing, I promise. We saw the most AMAZING thunder/lightening storm this evening from our hotel. We had a prime viewing position as we watched from our hotel (the tallest building for miles, and a lightening magnet to be sure). It all started as we watched the Independence Day (don’t they know today is the 3rd?) fireworks from the American Embassy from our window, when torrential rain, blinding lightening and earth shaking thunder reminded us that even man’s best celebration don’t hold a candle to the power of God. We saw the power of the city go out as we watched a bolt of lightening hit a transformer across the street from the hotel. Adam kept yelling “THE PRINCESS HAS BEEN HIT” and “THE PRINCESS IS DOWN,” while Jacob, our leader cowered behind his wife Caellin out of fear of elect it was pretty hilarious all in allWhat a blessing to feel his power shaking this earth. What I mighty God I serve!
Okay, now that I’ve written over 1,000 words, I think I’ll show a few pics. Enjoy friends! Love you all!
16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who trusts will never be dismayed.
Craig, Kaylee, Giovani and I
