Monday, July 22, 2013

El Salvador: Day 4 - "Back at the Guest House"

We have just spent an amazing three days in the smaller community where our Sister Church is located: El Paisnal, El Salvador.  It was a wonderful chance to reoonnect with my friends there, and I have to say that I love the kids there like my own kids, and I have an affection for the other adults there like they are my brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few thousand words...

The Rutillio Grande Memorial on the way to El Paisnal:


A panoramic picture of one of our first gatherings:

Making the maracas with colorful, plastic Easter eggs:

The younger kids showing us what they know in English with counting, numbers, etc. By the way, the older kids (not pictured) shared by introducing themselves, talking about what they like (colors, foods, etc.) and then telling us what they want to be when they grow up:

Putting together one of the two drum kits:

Some of the fruit of our sidewalk chalk on the street outside the church:

Pastor Chema and I are standing in front of a few of the trees we planted a mere 3 years ago (some stand 15 or so feet high, and they are bountiful with fruit!  There is every kind of fruit you can imagine all over the town!

The gift to Pastor Chema, which was a beautiful pottery communion set made by Angelika:

I am trying to ward off some of the evil "Cougar" energy emitted by the WSU hat given to Marvin, the man who teaches folks English in El Paisnal:

The gift of the banner and communion set as we prepared to worship with Buenas Nuevas church:

A few pictures with me and "mi hijas y mi hijos" (my kids), including Conchita, Adela, Graciella, Alexis, Laura and others:






Yes, we worked a little on projects, but that was not the real goal in coming to El Salvador. These are truly beautiful people who give me as much, if not more than I ever give to them.  We had fun teaching each other English/Spanish, eating together, worshipping together, having wonderful life-giving conversation and just BE-ing together.

Please hold us all in your prayers.  We are all well, yet a little weary and (some of us more than others) in need of a shower and a good night's sleep.

Peace and Grace to you all!
Gregg













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