October Update: New chapters to come

Hello everyone,
This will probably be my last update before I head back to the States and say goodbye to my lovely El Salvador. I can't believe it's already been a year since I first made the big move down here. So many emotions, memories, and thoughts run through my mind and it's hard to put everything into words.

I guess I would like to start off with just giving a big thanks first and foremost to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him in my life I would have never even imagined the adventures He has lead me to, the people He's placed in my life, and the changes He has made in me for the good. The best decision I have ever made in my life and will ever make, was allowing Him to lead my life and take control of who I am. Thank you God for yet another beautiful chapter you have allowed to be part of my life.

Secondly, I want to thank my family! They unselfishly "let me go" so that I could follow God's plan that led me to live here in El Salvador. Not only did they trust in me, but gave me constant support and always reminded me how much they've missed me and love me. It's been tough being away from them but as the phrase goes, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder". I'm so grateful for the family that God put me in. It will be a blessing as well to have my dad here in ES for my last week before I head home.

Lastly, thanks to all of my friends, coworkers, classmates, teammates, neighbors, parents of friends, churches and anybody else who has been on this journey with me! Without you none of this would have ever been possible. Because you opened up your heart to support me in multiple ways, I have been blessed to serve without any restrictions simply because I had you as a source of support, encouragement, and constant motivation. Together, I believe we have touched lives here in El Salvador and will continue impacting the people, all for God's glory.

This last month has been one focusing on finishing well and taking care of minor details. I've been in the process of closing out all the things that one needs to do when moving; ending contracts, selling/giving things away, saying my goodbyes, etc. It's not an easy process but God is faithful even in the hard times.

Tomorrow we will celebrate Halloween with our volleyball girls as they have earned their 2nd All-nighter/PJ party. (Look for pics on Facebook!) They've been doing their best to show good behavior, have good attendance, and even did a community trash clean up. They are really looking forward to the fun to come!  I'm happy to say that the other coach Becky will still continue volleyball, even after I am gone...but I ask that you pray for another coach/helper/missionary to come along and have the same passion for these girls that we do. Life is so much better when there's someone else helping you along the way.

I was able to visit one of my favorite ministries one last time yesterday, and that was in the Island. We were able to give out around 30 food baskets to families that were in dire need of the aid. I have tons more pictures on Facebook but will put a few here in this update. Within this month the Lord has moved in big ways and many different families and individuals have heard the Gospel and accepted Christ as their Lord and leader of their life! Please continue to pray for these people to continue to accept God and stay encouraged and grow in him. Pray for the Guillen family who dedicates their life to help their fellow Island residents. Also that God would continue blessing the families in their physical needs.

My last prayer request is for my transition back home. As happy as I am to return to family and friends, it's difficult leaving my new family and friends here. El Salvador has grown so close to my heart and in all honesty I would love to stay for longer...but God's calling to go back home is quite clear and I long to be obedient to Him first and foremost. I have adapted so much to the culture here and have even adopted some things in my own life. There are things I love about the people and ways here that we don't necessarily practice or do in the States, and that can be hard. There hasn't been a single day where I have woken up and not looked forward to the day ahead. What a blessing it has been to love each and every day that I have lived in ES!! I'm not sure as to the specific plan God has for me upon my return, so I'm seeking Him in prayer that He will show me in the right timing.

Although I won't be physically living in ES, I still love to be a bridge between the 2 cultures and hope that's something I can continue to do no matter where I reside. In the coming months I will be featuring the different ministries and missionaries here on my blog and elsewhere so that you can continue to be part of the mission that God is doing in ES and still have an opportunity to support people who truly deserve it and love to serve Jesus and His people. I encourage you to stay tuned and to continue investing your life into the lives of others and ultimately God's kingdom.

Look forward to seeing many of you upon my return and it has been a privilege to serve alongside you. I pray that we may continue in the mission together in whatever way the Lord has in store!

With much love!

Lauren :)

 The Guillen family (just missing their dad who's at work)

 Natalia with her food basket for the family

 Wonderful and appreciative family with their food baskets

Our volleyball girls cleaning up trash in the community sports complex

Even when I go to the beach to relax, the kids find me and we have a blast!

When God Calls You Back Home...

So, the beginning of the month was not the most fun as I somehow contracted a mosquito-carrying virus called Chikungunya (yes I know, I laughed as well the first time I heard of it). Its symptoms are very similar to Dengue, meaning it was miserable. I was "lucky" enough to have it last for an entire week...extreme headache, body and joint aching all over, fever, loss of appetite, and the last two days a minor rash followed by some itching. My mom has always told me that sometimes God allows us to get sick so that we are forced to slow down and take a rest... well I definitely rested as I stayed in my bed for a week straight and did absolutely nothing. Not my idea of fun, but the Lord knows what He is doing and allowed me to be healed without any problems! I now feel like an official Salvadorian since I too got the virus amongst so many others here. Thankfully this has been the only time that I've really been sick since I first moved down here.

Thankfully I healed up in time as we received our last individual-team missionary for the year. Austin served with us for 2 weeks and is considering doing long term mission work with his family. We were able to show him all our different ministries and even spend 3 days at the Island community we work with. The island was for sure one of the highlights for me personally as we visited a few families, shared the love and hope that is in Jesus, and gifted them with Bibles. It's such a blessing when people come to serve here in ES as it opens so many more doors for us to do ministry with the local people. Receiving foreign missionaries, especially from the US has such a huge impact on the Salvadorian people...I highly encourage you to consider and pray about doing a mission trip out of the country sometime in the future. I promise you will not regret it and can guarantee you will be just as blessed as those who you can help and serve.

Our volleyball girls are getting better and more competitive in the sport with each practice. It's so rewarding as a coach to finally see the girls come full circle and "get the hang" of how volleyball is really played. However I am even more proud when I see the girls memorizing bible verses, knowing the Bible better, and remembering the values we teach and trying to put them into practice. They are only 10/11 years old, but are certainly growing into more mature girls. Thanks to a generous donation by a good family friend, we will be able to put on another all-nighter/sleepover for the girls at the end of October. They must help do a community trash clean-up and be consistent at practice in order to attend...but it's going to be a great time and I'm excited to share the pictures with you all!

Thanks for hanging in this far...I have one more big announcement that has been on my heart that I want to share with you all. After months and months of praying and seeking God's counsel I feel that the Lord is leading me to a pretty big change as I approach my 1 year mark of living/serving here in El Salvador. God has been giving me lots of peace and more clarity about the decision to move back home at the end of the year. It has been a tough thing for me as I really want to stay and serve here for longer, but I do feel that God is saying it's time to return Stateside after my year here. So, this November will be my last month serving in El Salvador as a missionary with Christ For the City. I am sad to say good-bye and leave this amazing country that I've fallen in love with even more, but once you hear God's voice calling you, you've just got to obey it. Moving back home is actually a bigger leap of faith for me than it was to move down here since I am not entirely sure what God specifically has for me as I move back. However, I know that God has good plans in store and will reveal them in His perfect timing as He always has! Words cannot even begin to describe my experience as a missionary here, and I will try to speak more on the subject as the time draws near. For now, I just ask for you prayers in God's continued peace and guidance in respect to this decision and what is the next step for me. I thank you so much for being on this journey with me and pray that together we can finish strong!

For those of you who support me financially, I kindly ask that you would continue your support at least throughout November as I finish out my time here and transition back to the States and start a new chapter there. However, just because I may not be on the mission field here in this capacity, there are still so many wonderful local missionaries and ministries that need your help. I highly highly encourage you to get in touch with me if you feel like you still would love to continue supporting a ministry or missionary with Christ For the City-El Salvador. There is a lot of need here and your support can make a huge difference, just like it has in my life!

As I always say, there is no way I could do any of this without you and am eternally grateful! I look forward to keeping you updated in the months to come and continue sharing with you the wonderful things that God is doing. You are a blessing to me and to the people of El Salvador.

Thank you and much love,

Lauren :)

Family Time in the Month of August

Friends and Family,

It's good to connect with you and share all the fun blessings that God has given during August. I hope each and every one of you have had a wonderful Summer as well.

As I mentioned in my last post, my parents were able to visit me here in El Salvador for the first time! Aaannnddd...they were able to celebrate my 25th birthday with me. It was such a blessing for me to have my parents see with their own eyes where I live, who I work with,  and what I do on a daily basis. Although it was much too short, I'm so grateful for the time God allowed them to be here with me. My parents enjoyed their visit so much that we were able to spontaneously send down my youngest brother, Thomas, the week after they left. Thomas also loves the Hispanic culture and it was his first time here in a country like El Salvador. We also had a great time and I enjoyed having him here with me. Having some of my family here was a much needed breath of fresh air after the non-stop months of June and July with the teams we received. Thank God for family and being able to enjoy their presence.

Since we didn't receive any teams the month of August, my schedule has been more relaxed and allowed me to spend that time with my family. However, volleyball has still be in full swing and we are loving it! It's been really cool to hear that the girls are more frequently asking to play other teams and making it their goal to actually have a real competition. Although our sweet little 10/11 years old are not ready for that yet, it excites me that they are growing a passion for the sport and want to be more competitive (a quality that is not often seen in girls here when it comes to sports). Most importantly Becky and I have continued to be very intentional about our faith in God and how it is the best decision they could make for their lives, through the means of our devotionals and value teachings.

The country of El Salvador itself has honestly been in pretty bad shape. It saddens me to hear of the daily killings that occur. It is all gang related but even mistakes are made and innocent people who are mistaken for someone else or family members and people associated with the gangs also suffer the consequences. I personally don't feel scared or at risk, but am taking every  precaution I can and try to be as wise as possible. The simple fact that I am American and am a missionary does put a huge safeguard around me, but I also know and can feel that the power of prayer is strongly at work around me. It truly amazes me how God has protected me everywhere I go. The places where I work at are not good places, but praise be to the Lord who covers and cares for His children who aim to walk in His ways. I do not for a minute take for granted God's Holy Spirit protecting me through the means of prayer. Thank you for praying for me, but I ask of you to be in constant prayer for this country. People need to hear of God's amazing love to be changed by it and to find hope that only He can give. Please join me in interceding for the people of El Salvador and that God may bring peace to His sons and daughters here.

On a more lighter note, I was again gifted with the opportunity to come back to Ohio for a short time to attend a good family friends wedding and go on vacation to Tennessee with my family. This time I was able to be with my entire family and be able to relax back in the States. I love El Salvador more than I can express, but it's so nice to be back home where I can really be at ease and enjoy being around my family. I wish I could have visited with many of you, but it's really tough when I'm only back home for a short period.

I will wrap up my update for now and wish all of you blessings and a great start to this fall season! Thanks for all you do and who you are. Couldn't be where I am without each and every one of you!


God bless,
Lauren :)

July Update

So I am a little behind on this months update but I will be able to give you a good recap on the entire month.

As I talked about in my last update, these summer months have been extremely busy for our base as many mission teams come down from the US to serve with us. It has been such a blessing to host and lead these teams and I have enjoyed even more being a bridge between the two cultures (something that I hope to always be able to do). I have enjoyed seeing my fellow brothers and sisters from my own country come down to El Salvador and watch the growth they've experienced, see eyes being opened, and the beauty of 2 cultures serving each other. It was a special treat for me towards the end of this month becuase a family that I know well was able to serve down with CFCI for a week. It was definitely a special time since I personally knew them and was able to be part of their first mission trip.

As great as these months have been, I'm definitely glad that it is only a season because I could definitely use the break. Myself and other coworker, Josue, have been non-stop with teams since the beginning of June until yesterday. I am certainly looking forward to the break and back to my "normal" schedule.

Some really exciting news is that my parets are coming down to visit me for the first time, starting tomorrow!! Although it will be a short trip, I am BEYOND excited to share a few days with them here in El Salvador and also be able to celebrate my 25th birthday with them this Sunday. To say I have missed my family would be an understatement. I thank God for allowing them and providing the way for them to come and visit me.

A quick update on the status of the country: El Salvador could defnitely use you constant prayers. Although God is so faithful in protecting me and our entire organization, ES has had an increase in the "war" bewteen the government/police and the gangs here. It saddens me to hear and see all that is going on in such a beautiful country, filled with lovely people. This is for sure a miracle that only God can pull off, but we are praying for peace in this country..that God would intervene in peoples hearts to turn towards Him and bring about change from the inside out. I know that this country is not lost and it just makes me want to bring a smile, a hug, a word of encouragement all the more to the hurting people. Please pray for the kids/youth of this country...that they would be protected and find/follow the good path that God desires for them. Pray for the adults in this country, that they would be good examples to those around them and turn their faces to God. Pray for the gangs...that God would intervene in their lives and change their ways. Pray for the government leaders...that they would be wise in their decisions and truly put this country's best interest ahead of anything else.

I can't think you enough for your generosity in supporting me. God is so kind and has been taking care of me in more ways than I can even grasp. Thank you for your interest and investment in my life and what God is doing here in El Salvador. I will leave you with some pictures that I have taken during this month.

May God bless you in abundance!

Lauren :)

Gringo Season!

Happy Summer to everyone! As my title describes, we are in full swing with our mission trip teams as school is out and the "gringos" are taking the time to come serve with us here in El Salvador. This has left me extremely busy as I help oraganize and lead the mission teams that our base receives. We will have 3 teams in the month of June alone with 10 days being the shortest time frame. It's a blessing to have people come down to share their passions and skills with the people we serve here and also relieve the local team as well. We have been able to do a few medical campaigns in much needed areas, various kids activities and outreaches. Here are a few pictures of some of the teams in action.

An update on our volleyball girls: every practice they not only are improving on their volleyball skills, but more importantly in their attitudes and behavior. I have really seen a difference in these girls from when we started in February. They more easily forgive, don't fight/get mad nearly as often and teamwork is increasing. Through the generosity of a good family friend, we were able to purchase uniform tops for the girls. Although there are no girls volleyball leagues where they could actually play a game against someone else, having a uniform makes the girls feel like they are really part of something special, boosts their confidence, and also can help us to show the community and other girls that we exist and have something great to offer for them. Thank you for your generosity and prayers!

I would really appreciate your prayers for myself and coworker, Josue during these summer months. We have a really large amount of teams and people coming to serve us and it is a lot of work on top of our normal ministries and service. There are really no days to rest for us and one team comes in right after the other and it has already been exhausting for us. Please pray for the strength, energy, and joy to serve these mission teams and the people of El Salvador. Here is a picture of me and Josue as we lead the group.

Thank you a million times for helping me to remain here in El Salvador and serve God in this way. It's a true honor and I never would have thought I could love El Salvador and the ministry more than I  already did. I feel blessed every morning to be here and I could not continue any of this without your constant support. Thanks!

With much love,

Lauren :)

Happy May

Hello!

Lots to update you all on...so here we go:

Volleyball: Our girls finally earned their "All-nighter/Pajama Party" that I wrote about in my last update. Words cannot even describe their excitement. I think the thing that caught me off guard most was that many of these girls have never swam in a pool before and some had never even been in an elevator...things that we do very often in the States are luxuries for some of the girls that we coach. Thanks to our last team, the Northrup family, for donating tons of backpacks! We were able to give these out as rewards for participating on the team and working hard to earn the party. Here are a few pictures below. Prayer Request: Our 13-15 year old age group has been a little tough for us to keep interested and has dwindled down to 2 girls...although we know God doesn't care about numbers, but quality, we are praying for wisdom to know how to attract more girls to the program and if we should change things up to what would better suite the community and girls at this age. Once girls hit about 13 years old they start turning their focus away from innocence and it's much harder to reach out to them. Please be in prayer with us for them and for wisdom.

Short-term teams: We currently gave our 3rd short term mission team in this week. Tracy is studying to be a Physical Education teacher and has been helping us out in varying ministries to show that sports/physical activities cross borders and can break down any barriers. We have had a lot of fun playing games with the kids and their smiles are priceless. Below is a picture of Tracy with the Kindergarten kids. As June and July approaches we have a lot of short term teams that will come down and it is a lot of planning and many details and energy that go into hosting a team. Prayer Request: For wisdom in how to best plan each and every team...for their hearts to be prepared to serve and for open hearts of those children, youth, and adults who will be able to share time with these teams. 

My life: As some of you may have heard or seen on Facebook..I was able to come home for a few days to celebrate my Dad's big 60th birthday. For those of you who know my Dad, keeping secrets is not one of his strengths...however, he managed to keep it from my Mom and youngest brother, Thomas. It was so cool to be able to spend a few days with my family and some friends. I wish I could have visited with all of you but it was such a spur of the moment trip and so short that I wasn't able to do so. However, I'm so grateful that God allowed that door to be open and it was an awesome time. Here was a picture we took of the family at the Lake. Prayer Request: For wisdom in decisions and not getting stressed out about small things.

Please continue to pray for peace in El Salvador. New laws have been passed in order to help deter the violence and such, so pray that the government can make good decisions but more importantly that God takes control and draws people close to Him.

As always, please contact me to let mw know how you are and how I can be praying for you! It gives me great joy to be able to catch up with you all! Thank you for your consistent prayers and support for me! Forever grateful!

Big hugs,

Lauren :)