I know this entry is long overdue. There is a lot to mention here so grab a cup o' joe (like the one I have in hand right now… mmmm), kick back and read about the great things God is doing in El Salvador.
Where to begin? Someone once said to start at the very beginning, because it's a very good place to start. With that in mind, and with that song now stuck in my head, I'll start with Sunday, the day after my last entry.
I went to my first church service here since last July, with Manuel (the OH country coordinator), Hilary (the other American interning here right now), and Manuel's daughter. It's a large church and the worship is a lot of fun. After the service ended, I was blessed to meet up with a couple of friends that I met last year at that same church. We made plans and all went out to dinner that night. It was a great time!
Monday we waited a long time in the morning for news from the Ilobasco detention center. That is, we were waiting to know whether or not we could enter the center, as it had been previously in a “state of emergency”. The news came, and we were not allowed to enter that day. So, I went to CISNA (orphanage) and spent the day with the kids and staff there.
One thing that I’ve realized about the orphanage is the lack of discipline. I know this is a natural problem in any orphanage, and I do admit that it’s amazing how much Orphan Helpers is doing with the kids there, but the discipline is really lacking. I’m starting to realize that what these kids need is NOT free hand-outs, like little candies and toys, but free love, offered by spending time with them, listening to them, playing with them, loving on them. And as we all know, disciplining our children best reveals our love for them, just as God disciplines his children because of His great love for us (if you don’t believe me, read Hebrews 12). Now, disciplining orphans a great and difficult task. Most of them have not known discipline, as they have not had loving parents, or parents at all. And I think that’s why so many Americans and Salvadorians alike shy away from it. We would rather show up, give them a couple of suckers and some yo-yos to make them momentarily happy, and then leave, head back to our comfort zone. These kids are beautiful children, each of which God watches after intimately and deeply. They deserve to be disciplined just as we have the privelege and joy of being disciplined.
With William, a great man after God’s heart, as the Orphan Helpers coordinator of the orphanage, I think things will start to change. The kids now have a fatherly figure to look up to and view as role model. I talked a lot with William this past week, and found out just how big his heart is for these children. He humbly confided in me about the hours and hours he pours into the orphanage, coming in on Saturdays and Sundays to be with the kids. Staying extra late some days to finish important jobs and to make sure the children have everything they need. I pray that the rest of the OH staff at CISNA, including myself, could have that kind of love for these orphaned and abandoned children. And please pray for the staff at OH, that they would not fall subject to the lies of the enemy that tell them that their work at CISNA is just a job, when in reality it is a ministry of, by, and through the Living God.
Here’s a few pictures of from CISNA:
Where to begin? Someone once said to start at the very beginning, because it's a very good place to start. With that in mind, and with that song now stuck in my head, I'll start with Sunday, the day after my last entry.
I went to my first church service here since last July, with Manuel (the OH country coordinator), Hilary (the other American interning here right now), and Manuel's daughter. It's a large church and the worship is a lot of fun. After the service ended, I was blessed to meet up with a couple of friends that I met last year at that same church. We made plans and all went out to dinner that night. It was a great time!
Monday we waited a long time in the morning for news from the Ilobasco detention center. That is, we were waiting to know whether or not we could enter the center, as it had been previously in a “state of emergency”. The news came, and we were not allowed to enter that day. So, I went to CISNA (orphanage) and spent the day with the kids and staff there.
One thing that I’ve realized about the orphanage is the lack of discipline. I know this is a natural problem in any orphanage, and I do admit that it’s amazing how much Orphan Helpers is doing with the kids there, but the discipline is really lacking. I’m starting to realize that what these kids need is NOT free hand-outs, like little candies and toys, but free love, offered by spending time with them, listening to them, playing with them, loving on them. And as we all know, disciplining our children best reveals our love for them, just as God disciplines his children because of His great love for us (if you don’t believe me, read Hebrews 12). Now, disciplining orphans a great and difficult task. Most of them have not known discipline, as they have not had loving parents, or parents at all. And I think that’s why so many Americans and Salvadorians alike shy away from it. We would rather show up, give them a couple of suckers and some yo-yos to make them momentarily happy, and then leave, head back to our comfort zone. These kids are beautiful children, each of which God watches after intimately and deeply. They deserve to be disciplined just as we have the privelege and joy of being disciplined.
With William, a great man after God’s heart, as the Orphan Helpers coordinator of the orphanage, I think things will start to change. The kids now have a fatherly figure to look up to and view as role model. I talked a lot with William this past week, and found out just how big his heart is for these children. He humbly confided in me about the hours and hours he pours into the orphanage, coming in on Saturdays and Sundays to be with the kids. Staying extra late some days to finish important jobs and to make sure the children have everything they need. I pray that the rest of the OH staff at CISNA, including myself, could have that kind of love for these orphaned and abandoned children. And please pray for the staff at OH, that they would not fall subject to the lies of the enemy that tell them that their work at CISNA is just a job, when in reality it is a ministry of, by, and through the Living God.
Here’s a few pictures of from CISNA:
Tuesday, we were finally allowed to enter the detention center in Ilobasco. Upon arriving, we met up with the OH staff there and director of the center to talk a bit. We (Hilary and I) then entered the girls’ side of the center, and met all of the girls with which we would be working. There are about 28 girls in the center, separated into two casas. One house is for provisionals, that is, those who have not yet received their prison sentence if they are to receive one at all; the other is for those who are serving their sentence. I only recognized about 4 girls from the previous year.
Later that day, in the afternoon, David (the OH coordinator for this detention center) and I spent about an hour with the provisional girls getting to know them and reading through a gospel tract together. There were only two girls that were already Christians of the 10 or 11 with whom we were working. By the end of the hour, two girls decided, with tears of brokenness, to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior! Woo!! Thank you Jesus!
I slept that night at David’s house, though “slept” is not exactly the word I would use. Some rooster outside was cock-a-doodling (or whatever you call it) ALL night, and David’s baby was cried intermittently throughout the night. Nonetheless, the next morning the Lord gave me the strength and energy to do his work. I spent the morning with the provisional girls again. We went through more of the gospel tract, studied some verses, and then they all drew pictures of the verses that stood out the most to them. They then presented their drawings to everyone and explained what they drew and why they picked that verse. Some pictures…
Later that day, in the afternoon, David (the OH coordinator for this detention center) and I spent about an hour with the provisional girls getting to know them and reading through a gospel tract together. There were only two girls that were already Christians of the 10 or 11 with whom we were working. By the end of the hour, two girls decided, with tears of brokenness, to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior! Woo!! Thank you Jesus!
I slept that night at David’s house, though “slept” is not exactly the word I would use. Some rooster outside was cock-a-doodling (or whatever you call it) ALL night, and David’s baby was cried intermittently throughout the night. Nonetheless, the next morning the Lord gave me the strength and energy to do his work. I spent the morning with the provisional girls again. We went through more of the gospel tract, studied some verses, and then they all drew pictures of the verses that stood out the most to them. They then presented their drawings to everyone and explained what they drew and why they picked that verse. Some pictures…
Later that afternoon, I got to spend a lot of time with the guys in the detention center. I didn’t get to play basketball with them (but that will happen!), but I did get to attend a discipleship service that David taught. About 30 guys attended, and some of them didn’t have chairs, so they stood listening the whole time. These guys are each of them an example of the amazing power of God. Talk about complete transformation. These guys go from a life of gangs and crime to freely choosing to attend a worship and discipleship service everyday. And it shows. Leaders are arising among the guys there. Real discipleship is happening. It’s so awesome to see and be a part of.
I came back to San Salvador that night, and went to bed at about 8:30, I was so tired. The next day, the big news came. I had been hearing bits and pieces about some Olympics thing from various Orphan Helpers staff, but didn’t know what they were talking about, until that morning. Manuel informed me about how Orphan Helpers is planning a week-long Olympic Games event for the kids in CISNA and in CIPI (a girls orphanage). These Olympic Games are also a sort of fundraising effort too, as Greg Garret (head honcho and founder of Orphan Helpers) is bringing with him several rich YPO (Young Presidents Organization) families. This is all happening in the next 8 days. So please be in prayer for all the preparations, the event, the kids, the hearts of the Americans who are coming, the YPOers, and those coordinating the event. Pray that it would be a success as God would define successful.
Yesterday was nuts. Lots of running around with Laura (Program Development Manager for OH in VA; she flew out here Thursday night) and Hilary and Manuel to buy things and make preparations at the two centers and at the Hilton (where all the rich execs are staying).
While I believe this next week is really going to be amazing, not to mention a ton of fun, it means I can’t go to Ilobasco until my last week here. And I really want to be spending time with the girls in the detention center, continuing God’s work there. But it must wait, and so I ask all of you to please pray fervently for God to continue moving in the hearts of each girl in the Ilobasco detention center. Pray for the Christians there, the new ones especially, that God would, by his ultimate providence, figure out a way to disciple them and train them in holiness and love everyday. Pray that they would learn to lean on each other for support and encouragement.
Last night was a fun end to a busy day. Laura, Hilary, and I went out with our Salvadorian friends from church to go cosmic bowling. By God’s grace and power, I bowled a 95, which included a combined total of TWO, count them, TWO strikes.
Thank you all so much for your diligent praying. Please keep it up, as it is the power of God working here in response to your prayers that makes the impossible possible.
And now… some more pictures!
I came back to San Salvador that night, and went to bed at about 8:30, I was so tired. The next day, the big news came. I had been hearing bits and pieces about some Olympics thing from various Orphan Helpers staff, but didn’t know what they were talking about, until that morning. Manuel informed me about how Orphan Helpers is planning a week-long Olympic Games event for the kids in CISNA and in CIPI (a girls orphanage). These Olympic Games are also a sort of fundraising effort too, as Greg Garret (head honcho and founder of Orphan Helpers) is bringing with him several rich YPO (Young Presidents Organization) families. This is all happening in the next 8 days. So please be in prayer for all the preparations, the event, the kids, the hearts of the Americans who are coming, the YPOers, and those coordinating the event. Pray that it would be a success as God would define successful.
Yesterday was nuts. Lots of running around with Laura (Program Development Manager for OH in VA; she flew out here Thursday night) and Hilary and Manuel to buy things and make preparations at the two centers and at the Hilton (where all the rich execs are staying).
While I believe this next week is really going to be amazing, not to mention a ton of fun, it means I can’t go to Ilobasco until my last week here. And I really want to be spending time with the girls in the detention center, continuing God’s work there. But it must wait, and so I ask all of you to please pray fervently for God to continue moving in the hearts of each girl in the Ilobasco detention center. Pray for the Christians there, the new ones especially, that God would, by his ultimate providence, figure out a way to disciple them and train them in holiness and love everyday. Pray that they would learn to lean on each other for support and encouragement.
Last night was a fun end to a busy day. Laura, Hilary, and I went out with our Salvadorian friends from church to go cosmic bowling. By God’s grace and power, I bowled a 95, which included a combined total of TWO, count them, TWO strikes.
Thank you all so much for your diligent praying. Please keep it up, as it is the power of God working here in response to your prayers that makes the impossible possible.
And now… some more pictures!
A typical dinner in the Faith House.
And yes, I do eat it! All of it!
1 comment:
Great pictures, great job, great son!
Thanks for the picures, Scott, they're really good. Glad you're enjoying yourself while doing your good work.
Dad
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