Soon

Wow, the summer is already almost half over, and I will be leaving for San Salvador a week from today. Time flies when the Lord is our shepherd.

I've jotted down the following four principle goals/purposes of the trip:

1) Unity for Christian girls in Ilobasco detention center

2) Discipleship with guys in detention center (Celebrate Recovery curriculum)

3) Tutoring my brothers in the Faith House

4) Worship and teaching with the orphans in CISNA orphanage

But as David said, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." (Psalm 16:9)

I need to be clear about #1. When I went last summer, there were about 20 or 30+ girls in the detention center (to my knowledge). Many of them have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, however they continue to maintain grudges that began with the gangs they belonged to before entering the center. They currently have NO spiritual leadership/guidance outside of periodic pastoral visits. Whereas, on the guys' side of the detention center, there are Orphan Helpers staff members preaching, discipling, and loving on the 120+ detained young men. So, to be more specific, please pray for the following:
1a) That God would open up plenty of opportunity to work with the girls in the detention center
1b) That God would bring UNITY to the girls that already have a relationship with God (that He would break off old grudges and that rumors would cease)

At this point, the only thing I would ask that you pray for me is protection against the enemy's schemes. I am tempted and pressed to spiritual limits on a daily basis. But the Lord is my shield. Pray that in the face of temptation I would always remember that.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. God bless.

God's Blessing

Man, tonight was amazing. I went to a local non-denominational Spanish church called Iglesia la Roca. After the message, during worship, one of the ushers asked me for my name and where I was from, and then proceeded to go up and tell the pastor. He then called me out in front of everyone to welcome me and asked me something like why I had come. I told everyone from my seat about my trip to El Salvador. He (the pastor) then asked me to come to the front of the room, and he anointed my forehead with oil and prayed over me with the whole church. After he finished, I was going to head back to my seat, but a woman had come up to give me a prophetic word about the missions trip. It was long, and amazing. Another woman came up after she was done to give MORE words from God about the trip. I was blown away by how God's Spirit was working in that place. It was awesome to say the least.

I've had a lot of peace recently about the trip. I've been trying to come up with more ideas and ways to reach the kids I'll be working with. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers!

In His Holy and Blessed Name,
Scott

Some Sad News

I received an email tonight from an Orphan Helpers employee, Josh, who is currently in El Salvador staying in the Faith House (which is where I stayed last time and where I'll be staying this time).

"I plead for your prayers tonight. One of the boys, Luis Carlos Barientos, who lives in the Faith House where I am staying in El Salvador was found murdered today in his hometown Atiquazaya. He was 18 and following God´s calling on His life in ministry. We shared dinner Saturday night and went to CIPI, a protective center for girls who´´ve been abused together. God´s presence in Him was powerful, and I believe even more so now.

We are going to his funeral tomorrow. Please pray for his family, all the guys at the Faith House, and the entire Orphan Helpers family - for God to be our peace. Thank you all for joining us in crying out to God, as we ask for strength to trust Him in pain, and for Him to glorify Himself somehow in this. We pray for mercy on his murderer and for lost souls to know God through this.

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief, you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you, you are the helper of the fatherless. Psalm 10:14

In His Hands,

Josh"

Please lift up these prayer requests and pray for continued protection for the rest of the boys in the Faith House. Thanks and God bless.

In Need of Prayer

Friends and family -

Thank you so much for your support thus far. I need to ask for your continued prayers at this time, as I've recently been struggling with doubt and fear about my trip next month. Specifically, I just have not been sure if going to El Salvador is really what God wants me to do. I've been fervently asking God for answers as of late, and have actually received a couple of great confirmations that God's will is that I go.

Confirmation 1: Saturday, I started praying fervently for a clear answer as to whether or not I should be going to El Salvador. Sunday rolls around, and quite a few people just randomly bring up my trip in conversation. It was encouraging to talk about it with my brothers and sisters at FCCT.

Confirmation 2: I spoke with an Orphan Helpers staff member named Josh for the first time. His ideas and passion for his own trip to Central America this summer stirred up my spirit. One of the things he and Richard (Exec. VP of Orphan Helpers) have been working on is a new program for the discipleship of the many new Christians in the Ilobasco detention center in El Salvador. This conversation with Josh of course came right as I've been praying for a clear answer from God.

Warning 1: Last night, I had a really intense dream that I was on a plane to El Salvador, and I was EXTREMELY fearful, feeling completely unprepared. I hadn't packed anything for the trip.

I think what God is telling me is that if I'm going to do this, that as of now I am not sufficiently prepared. What kind of preparation is this? Discipleship experience, practicing my Spanish, committing myself to daily prayer, Word study and journaling, and consecrating myself completely to the Lord.
I believe God is warning me not to go on this trip unless I am willing to prepare myself properly. Looking back on the past school year (Aug. 06 - May 07), I realize that I had many great opportunities to commit to discipling some awesome individuals that God put in my life. Unfortunately, I think I pretty much blew those opportunities. I think those opportunities could have been preparation for what God had in mind for my El Salvador trip - that is, discipleship (as shown in my conversation with Josh). So now I have a decision to make. I've got one month to prepare for a trip that I should have been preparing for since I returned from the last one. And God has still left some doors open for discipleship. I will pursue those open doors and see what happens.

In summation, please pray for the following:
-That I would be diligent in preparing in each department
-That God would grant me some opportunities to disciple in June
-That God would continue to give me clear direction about the trip

Thanks again for all your support. I will be sending out a letter via snail mail soon.

"Not my will, or my plans, or the way that I want;
I'm so tired of my hands in the way.
So reveal to these eyes the true heart of my Father, today"
-Jason Upton, Teach Me How to Pray