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Busy week!

So, I know it's been a while since I last wrote but it has been a long yet wonderful week. This week we had a team come in from Roberts Wesleyan, New York. Our schedule was very busy and we did quite a bit. Thursday and Friday we traveled to remote communities on an island and in the mountains. Neither get visitors very often so the people were so excited to have us. We put on children's VBS programs and played soccer in the afternoons. At the beginning of the week we helped out with the other teams soccer clinics and did community service projects like painting and picking up trash. It really was great to work alongside 13 other believers...all here for one purpose. They added a lot of laughter to the week and it was a pleasure to have them here with us. I think I learned a bit this week on how to be a servant, even when I don't feel like it. Lots of times...ok all the time...it was hot, we were sweaty and cramped, and some didn't even feel good...but it was good to know that God still provides the strength to serve Him and carry on with His work. I praise Him for that! Here are some pictures from this week! Enjoy! I love you all so so much :)

Dios le bendiga!

I feel it!

So ya'll definitely must be praying because I sure am feeling your prayers! I was a little nervous for teaching English but it has been sooo wonderful! The Lord has been awesome in providing a peace, strength, and the words to say! Every Monday and Friday David and I teach English in the morning for about an hour to an hour and a half to about 30 kids, and a few adults as well. Then in the afternoon we switch with Douache and Jimmy and help coach in the soccer school. However the four of us flip-flop on Wednesdays, and the afternoon English session has between 60-70 kids!! It's truly amazing to see how much the people here want to learn English. The show up to class ready with notebooks and pencils in hand! :) It is SUCH a privilege to have the knowledge of English and know enough Spanish to be able to provide for someone else. I think it's cool how God uses things in our life that we take for granted (like speaking English) in order to serve someone else! What a beautiful God He is! Teaching English in the community of Altavista has become such a huge hit just within 3 classes that it has reached the attention of the government of the neighboring/bigger city of "Tonacatepeque". A few important people will be coming in the morning on Monday to see what we are doing and check things out! What an AMAZING thing! This will be so good for "Christ for the City" because it will shed some more light on our organization and the ministries that we are involved in! We really are so excited!

We that's it for now, I'm about to eat the most praised and favorite food here in El Salvador...the "pupusa". Here's a few pictures!! Thank you all! With the love the Christ...Lauren :)

Pictures!

Hello! I have pictures! This is just a little taste of what I have been doing so far. A lot of things have been activities that give us an idea of what we will be doing while here. I help out a bit with the soccer ministry...I absolutely LOVE the kids. They are so energetic and full of life! So many of them come from crazy harsh backgrounds and do not have the greatest lives at home, yet they still play soccer with all they have and a smile on their face! The fellowship here has been wonderful and the people embrace you with all they have. I'm so blessed to be here and realize how wonderful life can be when we truly invest in people to truly know them and become friends. It has only been day 5 and I feel as though these people are my family. After the second church service tonight, the pastor invited us to his mothers house for dinner...which was so great! I've enjoyed ALL the food so far! Can't wait to experience more!!

Cristo Para la Ciudad Internacional short-term and long term missionaries.

 Me and a couple of sweet, but goofy soccer students!

             Im actually not too bad at soccer, with the little guys! :)

A view of the field. These guys play completely on sand!

          Before every soccer session the director of the soccer school, Maltez, leads a devotion for all the boys.

The other missionaries who I live with! David (Ohio), Jimmy (Kentucky), Ashley (Oregon), Duache (Minnesota), and me!

Tomorrow I will be teaching English with David in the morning, then helping with soccer in the afternoon. I have been doing surprisingly well with speaking Spanish, but still have a lot to learn. So please pray for me to learn more of the language, speak with fluency, and be able to teach these kids!

I soo appreciate you!
Love you all :)

I'm here!

Hola!
I am here in El Salvador, safe and sound! It has already been a wonderful experience! The people that I've met and will be working with are so great! There are two other American girls living in the same room as me, and we are all short term missionaries. Also there are two American guys who live in the room next door and will also be involved in some of the same ministries.

The first day I just got settled in, met people from the organization, and helped a little with getting things ready for  the new mission house. The people here have put a lot of work into this missionary house for people like me, who come here from short-term mission trips. It has been wonderful to have people cook authentic food for us.

Today we all helped out in the soccer ministry. I had a blast playing with all the kids. The school here in Soyapango has so many kids that they split them up and have half in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. So there are two groups that we teach soccer skills to, and also someone who does a devotion beforehand. The kids, so far, are all boys and range between ages 4-16 years old or so.

This week our schedule won't be the typical schedule just because we have orientations, meetings and such. But as of next week on Mondays,Wednesdays, and Fridays I will be teaching English in the morning and playing soccer in the afternoons at the Soccer School. Tuesdays and Thursdays I work in the medical clinic in the AM and we visit "Benedicion de Dios" which is in the slums of San Salvador, in order to teach English to children in the PM. Every Thursday we also have a staff meeting to discuss how things are going and talk about our faith and walk with the Lord. The weekends are sort of our days off, however there are optional activities that we can get involved in, which I will most likely be doing. I will give more details as the days come and also post pictures as I take them! Just wanted to give ya'll an overview of how things are going and tell you I'm FINALLY here! :)

Thanks for all your prayers! Love you all!
God Bless!

2 days away!

I cannot even grasp that I am leaving in 2 days! This week has flown by but I've had a blast hanging out with my family, double-checking every detail, and catching up with friends before I go. The Lord has been so good leading up to my departure and now it's time to finally "Go into the world".

Last night I received some great parting gifts from our neighbors, who are pretty much my second parents. They also went to Marshall so we have an even greater bond from that. But the picture below shows me and Wayne with a pocket knife, a Marshall clip, and some Marshall hats to give away (which weren't shown)...gotta love it :)

Another thing is that I felt the desire to not cut my hair until I return from El Salvador and donate it to "Locks of Love". Although I may not be able to find the cure for Cancer, I have been blessed to grow long/healthy hair and I can do something as small as give part of my hair to someone who doesn't have that ability at the moment. I'm really excited to be able to do this! So, I've taken some pictures from the "Before" and will take some more once I return to see the "After". I have a feeling it's going to be crazy long and harder to manage...but so worth it!

Please be praying for me on Tuesday morning! My flight leaves from Dayton at 6am!
God Bless :)