Day 6

Everyday this week we have traveled the same road over and over back and forth to the village and saw the same things on our journey there everyday. Today we got to see a large part of El Salvador , a very beautiful part of El Salvador.

We went into the mountains where they have miles and miles and miles of coffee beans plants. We were so high up that they should have told us to bring a jacket because it was pretty cold up there. The views that we got to see were so great that pictures really won’t do it justice. But we tried.

We went zip lining and the place we went had 14 different parts to the zip line. The lines were stretched out over 2 mountains and went back and forth between the two mountains. The mountains over looked a small town or a village with a big white church in it. It was beautiful view. There were several people that were pretty nervous about going but in the end everyone did it and enjoyed it.

We then got to eat at this amazing open air restaurant that had a big table ready and waiting for us that over looked a garden and had birds chirping in the back ground and the sound of the open grill behind crackling from the cooking of our massive chicken. It was by far the best food all week. One of the LWI staff says it’s one of the best places to eat in El Salvador and the meal was only $7 a plate.

Then after lunch we toured a small city called “Ataco” and walk around the stone roads and see the shops the sold everything El Salvador.

All week we have been able to see the beauty in the people of El Salvador! Today was a great day to see the natural beauty in this great country. There are not a lot of pics of today for several reason: 1. Having lots of problems loading pics tonight. 2. Were not really allowed to take pics zip lining because we had to use both hands in staying balanced and stopping on the lines. 3. Someone else has the rest of pics on there camera and I thought I had put them on my computer and they are long gone been to bed. So I apologize for the lack of pics tonight but I do hope you enjoy them. Once I get back state side with better internet I will post a lot more photos. Thanks for following us on our journey

Are whole team including the LWU staff

Photo of the day

Day 5

Today was another great day. We anticipated what it would look and feel like all week long and it ended up being a good feeling. We got to be apart of the celebration service where they explain why we came from America and why we put a well in the village and they explained the Love of Jesus and how He came to save us. I think everyone in the village was there and they presented the Gospel with a puppet and with the Pastor and one of the LWI staff and every single person was glued to every word that was said. In the states it would be hard to be glued to listen to a puppet that is coming out of the window of the truck but all the men, women and the children were eaten it up. They loved it.

Then we got the chance to pass out Bibles to the whole community and present the well to the community and everyone was cheering and very thankful. It was such a beautiful thing to be apart of and witness. I’m so glad that these students had the chance to be apart of God’s plan for this village. I pray that the village will never forget us and will grow and more people will come to know the Lord through it. But I also pray that we will never forget how God used this village to speak to us and draw us closer to Him through it.



Hope you enjoy the pics from today:



We had to teach the community how to treat the well. So she pretended to be
the well.

She pretened to be a chicken and how we don't allow chickens to get around the well
She pretended to be a dog and how were suppose to not allow dogs around the well or allow them to use the bathroom on the well.

She pretended to be a mean girl and beat up the well and you get the picture....

They are all holding up the Bibles that they had just been given

The Pastor and Norma presenting the well to the community

On another note....

Day 4

Today was a day of cheering! We all chipped in, in putting the last pieces on the pump and watched clean water get pumped from the well for the first time. Everyone was cheering! We had a great time making piñatas again (come to find out: I thought this was just a fun arts and crafts projects! But it’s not they learn this fun little project because then they sell it for $2 and now that they have learned it they can make more. $6 a day is min wage…so these piñatas go along way)! We then broke out the bubbles and went crazy with these kids! All the kids chased the bubbles around trying to catch them which was fun to do. Today we had fish (a whole fish) and everyone was a little hesitant about eating it but everyone pushed through and ate it and really enjoyed it. Some of the fish still had their eyes in them and a few students choose to eat them. So that was a little interesting to watch.

Tonight it hit some of the students pretty hard that there was only one more day with the community and were saddened by the fact that tomorrow they will have to say goodbye to these people that they have fallen in love with. But they were so excited to be able to look at these families and know that their lives have been changed by us being here and by HCC sending money for the well and helping these students come here and be apart of what God is doing in the lives of these people.

Tomorrow will be a day that we will hopefully cherish forever. Tomorrow we celebrate the well and give it to the community and share the Gospel with the people. So hopefully tomorrow will be a day filled with joy, joy in knowing the people – lots of people came into a relationship with Christ through this week. So if you can be in prayer for us and the workers of LWI and the Pastor of this community that the Gospel message will be heard.

Here are the pics from today. Hopefully you will enjoy them:

On a different note...

Last night in our daily wrap-up devotions. We asked several questions, basically the same questions every night. What's God revealing to you? Did God answer any prayers? What was the coolest part of the day? What was the strangest or wildest part of your day? What was the most eye opening or a broken moment for you? What is God trying to teach you, reveal to you, or open you up to through today?

So, back to last night! We were talking through these questions and answering the question "What's God revealing to you?" and one of the students shared this "You don't need words (speaking of the translation barrier) to speak to the heart or to speak love"! Wow!!!

Several students started really thinking about that statment and then each one of them went around the room and shared how that statment had become so true in their lives just in two days. How they were already so in love with this community and broken for this community. Even though they didnt know all their names and could not really speak to them, but were able to be open to God using this community to do work in our lives, to soften our heart up, to reveal a deeper way to love!

It's been amazing to watch each one of these students put away their probelms and their differences and their worries and really allow God to get ahold of them and do a good work in their life. God moves in wonderous ways in our heart when we allow Him the openess.

Day 3

If yesterday was the day for rain jackets...today was the day for sunscreen! Two and three coats of it for everyone. It was a very hot day with no clouds what so ever. But, it was a very successful day and still one day ahead of schedule. We cleaned the pipe out, laid the foundation, laid the HCC plaque, taught the kids about hygiene and proper cleaning of foods and played soccer with the kids and made piñatas with the kids.

So with the cleaning of the pipe and laying of the concert we jumped around all day so there's no clean schedule like there was yesterday. So I will line the pics up and give a brief write up on a few

A walk through the village:

A little boy with his mom from the village

Talent

The road through the village

Making lunch for us

Cleaning out the pipe

Moving the equipment

An American's boots (and that's not all mud there)

An El Salvadorian's boots (and that's not all mud there)

Thought it was a puddle and fell in the hole....not kidding!! Laying the foundation to the well

Playing with the kids and Hygiene teaching