I have been here for 3 months and 3 weeks. 3 long months. 3 incredible months. I am sitting in my host home reflecting on my first semester here. It has consisted of lots of learning, new people, uncomfortableness, patiently waiting and Jesus. I am using this particular blog post to talk about some of the people God has placed in my path. I prayed and prayed for opportunities and He provided.
The first girl I will talk about, let’s call her Sophi. I met her at the university I am learning spanish at and have a really good relationship with her. She speaks amazing English and is Catholic. When I first started talking to her, I asked if she went to church and she told me that she did go to a catholic church, but the church shunned her. I took the opportunity and invited her to La Iglesia, and she came! She felt very welcome and I, then, invited her to Thanksgiving dinner at La Iglesia and her mother allowed her to come even though she has classes. She has only missed one Sunday since then and has even brought her cousin with her. She has such an open heart, I definitely see her accepting Christ into her life before the end of this Gap Year. I asked her if she would like to do a bible study and she agreed to it. I am praying that God will prepare me to disciple her.
This next woman, we shall call her Elsa. I met her during outreach and she is an atheist, used to be Catholic, but no longer is. She is, what we call, a person of peace (Luke 10). She opens her house to Faith, a church intern, and I every week. We have wonderful conversations about the culture here, some experiences she has had in her life and Faith has even had the opportunity to share the Gospel with her. When we get back into the swing of things, after host homes, I plan on sharing my testimony in Spanish. I am praying that God will open her heart, and work while we are in host homes. No one is too far gone. No one is out of the reach of His grace. I believe God is going to do something incredible in her life.
This next person, his name shall be Jacob. I met Jacob while he was dancing with his dance crew at UCA. I visited his studio where he offered the other students and I lessons. We asked how much it would be and he told us that we could choose a number that would work for everybody. When we began dancing, he realized some of the songs he had were dirty, so he found some clean songs that we can dance to. Some of the students and I have spent time talking to him and he wants to know the truth. He has read the bible, he was Catholic, but then began to feel like it wasn’t right, so he began looking for the truth. He has talked to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, etc, but he hasn’t found what he has been looking for. I invited him to church and he came once. Since then, he has been busy with a Christmas dance show, but I am praying that he will come again. He has so many questions and he wants to know the answers, not just because someone says so, but because it is in the Bible. He is searching for the truth and I believe he will find Him. I am so excited to see what God will do in his life. He has opened his studio to us and I love it there. I am praying that God continues to open his heart and that he guides us as we talk to him.
In my class there are 6 other students that aren’t from the Gap program. The last day of class, one of the guys told us that he was going to begin reading his Bible. He said that instead of drinking, he would begin reading a book a week. Someone recommended that he start in John and he agreed. He is an American and is in his 30’s. Though we have only known him for a month, God has been working in his heart, because we were all pleasantly surprised when he said he was going to begin reading his Bible. Who knew that just by mentioning that we work with the church and read our Bibles, it would spark curiosity in his heart. Praise the Lord it has happened. I am praying that he is in our class next year and that God will guide him and speak to him as he reads.
I am so blessed to be able to see God’s hand in the lives of these three Salvadoran’s mentioned. I want to thank my supporters. You all have been a huge blessing in my life. I hoped and praying that God would do incredible things, but for some reason, I didn’t think it would happen...let alone did I think I would be here in El Salvador. These first 3 months have been so incredible. and in these three months I have realized that the world is really big and I can’t reach everybody, but I can reach one body at a time. Each one counts. Heaven rejoices over each and every person that repents. These people are experiencing life change, as well as I. Nine months ago I signed up for Global Year, and through the help of all the people in my life that believed in the vision that God had for the next year of my life, I have had the opportunity to be a part of a team that is reaching people in El Salvador. So, I want thank you so much for investing in my life and the work God is doing here. I am so grateful. I love you all!
The first girl I will talk about, let’s call her Sophi. I met her at the university I am learning spanish at and have a really good relationship with her. She speaks amazing English and is Catholic. When I first started talking to her, I asked if she went to church and she told me that she did go to a catholic church, but the church shunned her. I took the opportunity and invited her to La Iglesia, and she came! She felt very welcome and I, then, invited her to Thanksgiving dinner at La Iglesia and her mother allowed her to come even though she has classes. She has only missed one Sunday since then and has even brought her cousin with her. She has such an open heart, I definitely see her accepting Christ into her life before the end of this Gap Year. I asked her if she would like to do a bible study and she agreed to it. I am praying that God will prepare me to disciple her.
This next woman, we shall call her Elsa. I met her during outreach and she is an atheist, used to be Catholic, but no longer is. She is, what we call, a person of peace (Luke 10). She opens her house to Faith, a church intern, and I every week. We have wonderful conversations about the culture here, some experiences she has had in her life and Faith has even had the opportunity to share the Gospel with her. When we get back into the swing of things, after host homes, I plan on sharing my testimony in Spanish. I am praying that God will open her heart, and work while we are in host homes. No one is too far gone. No one is out of the reach of His grace. I believe God is going to do something incredible in her life.
This next person, his name shall be Jacob. I met Jacob while he was dancing with his dance crew at UCA. I visited his studio where he offered the other students and I lessons. We asked how much it would be and he told us that we could choose a number that would work for everybody. When we began dancing, he realized some of the songs he had were dirty, so he found some clean songs that we can dance to. Some of the students and I have spent time talking to him and he wants to know the truth. He has read the bible, he was Catholic, but then began to feel like it wasn’t right, so he began looking for the truth. He has talked to Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, etc, but he hasn’t found what he has been looking for. I invited him to church and he came once. Since then, he has been busy with a Christmas dance show, but I am praying that he will come again. He has so many questions and he wants to know the answers, not just because someone says so, but because it is in the Bible. He is searching for the truth and I believe he will find Him. I am so excited to see what God will do in his life. He has opened his studio to us and I love it there. I am praying that God continues to open his heart and that he guides us as we talk to him.
In my class there are 6 other students that aren’t from the Gap program. The last day of class, one of the guys told us that he was going to begin reading his Bible. He said that instead of drinking, he would begin reading a book a week. Someone recommended that he start in John and he agreed. He is an American and is in his 30’s. Though we have only known him for a month, God has been working in his heart, because we were all pleasantly surprised when he said he was going to begin reading his Bible. Who knew that just by mentioning that we work with the church and read our Bibles, it would spark curiosity in his heart. Praise the Lord it has happened. I am praying that he is in our class next year and that God will guide him and speak to him as he reads.
I am so blessed to be able to see God’s hand in the lives of these three Salvadoran’s mentioned. I want to thank my supporters. You all have been a huge blessing in my life. I hoped and praying that God would do incredible things, but for some reason, I didn’t think it would happen...let alone did I think I would be here in El Salvador. These first 3 months have been so incredible. and in these three months I have realized that the world is really big and I can’t reach everybody, but I can reach one body at a time. Each one counts. Heaven rejoices over each and every person that repents. These people are experiencing life change, as well as I. Nine months ago I signed up for Global Year, and through the help of all the people in my life that believed in the vision that God had for the next year of my life, I have had the opportunity to be a part of a team that is reaching people in El Salvador. So, I want thank you so much for investing in my life and the work God is doing here. I am so grateful. I love you all!