So many things to say...

In missions, you generally start out with a plan.

Then, the plan gets revised, because something happens.
Then, the plan gets postponed, because someone comes for a visit.
Then, suddenly you end up enacting the plan, because whoever was coming for a visit didn´t show up.

Yeah, something like that.


I´ve been intending to update this blog for weeks. So two weeks ago, Mike dropped me off at the internet cafe for an hour. I walked up to the internet cafe, and saw a sign: "cerrado" (closed)

So instead of updating this as I intended, I ended up sitting outside in the heat for forty minutes.

And then the team came rolling in like a tornado, thirty strong. I expected that there may be some extra time, as there usually is with teams. But God thought differently. We were so busy as a team, that there was quite literally only time for eating and sleeping.

And I wouldn´t have had it any other way.

So where do I begin? Well, I forgot my notebook, because we ended up rushing to the internet cafe. And because we rushed to the internet cafe, I also didn´t get a chance to write my blog out before hand, or even upload the blogs I finished before...

And did I mention that this may be my last chance before I go off the radar for a month in Honduras?

Man has many plans, but God trumps them all. Life´s surprising that way.

So what do I say with so little time?

Well, I´ll begin by saying that our team of thirty that rolled in had no translators. The only people who spoke Spanish were more out of practice than I was. Alex, our usual translator and local guide had work the whole week. All the translators from the states also had to cancel. So here we were, thirty clueless gringos with about a hundred words of Spanish between all of us.

Sounds like the makings of a disaster, right?
Surprisingly, no.

Remember that God´s plans trump anything man plans.
This group was one of the hardest working groups I´ve had the privilege of working with.
They did everything from manual labor, to walking miles on foot, to spending hours in several villages without any translators. All without arguing and complaining. All with enthusiasm, even in the end, when getting up in the morning seemed like an impossible task.

In the villages, we visited people in their homes, going from house to house and talking with them and sharing the gospel. And oddly enough, I began to serve as the speaker for the group...
And then from speaker... I moved on to translate the greater part of a message in Spanish.

And despite the fact that I still only understood a part of what the people said, we still were able to communicate clearly.

At one house, we shared the gospel with a woman named Mirian and spoke with her a little bit about life and shared a bit of the gospel of John. At the end, we thanked her for the conversation and asked what she needed prayer for. Of course, when I asked that, I realized that I probably wouldn´t understand her request. But it came in loud and clear.

She was deported from the states about five years ago. But somehow, she left her husband and two children behind. Since then, she hasn´t seen them. The women in our group were shocked when they heard, and embraced her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as we prayed for her. When we left, she thanked us profusely. The whole visit was, in a word, beautiful.

God still provided a way for us to minister, despite the odds against us. Never bet against Him.

And now, I have to go, but please remember to pray for Mirian, that she would be able to see her family again, and that she would come to know Jesus Christ, who gives the hopeless hope. Keep praying for Mike´s family as they try to finish Sofia´s adoption. And pray also for me, as I go into Honduras, that God would help me learn the language quickly, and that I would refresh the missionaries there and share the gospel boldly.

In the name of our Lord Jesus,
- Pablo

No joke, banana peels are slippery

Right, so you're wondering about the title. I had an epiphany as I sprayed for mosquitoes. My co-workers led me to the back of a house, and wanted me to send some of the fumes down a massive cistern at the back of the property. Problem was, the place they led me was a steep three foot slope. I started to side, massive fumigation machine and all. I quickly caught my balance and decided to jump, because the ground looked nice and level at the bottom. The problem was, I didn't see the banana peels lying on the ground directly where I would land. My feet hit, and for a second I had my balance. Then, the banana peels gave way and took my feet right out from under me. I landed with a thud on my side, cradling the machine, all dignity lost. And no joke, banana peels aren’t just slippery in cartoons.

So much for making a good impression. Still, they said I did a good job, especially for my first time. Perhaps I missed my calling as a pest control agent.

Or not.

When we finished, I was able to speak with some of Alex's co-workers, and some of the workers from the local town. They reminded me, once again, that I was banned from playing soccer in their city by order of Carlos the mayor. (Seriously, that's how Carlos remembers me.) We laughed and joked for awhile, and I shared with them my earnest desire to learn more Spanish. I hope and pray I get the chance to take a class when I return to the states. But still, my Spanish is improving.

I’m loving the opportunities to learn and grow here. God’s helping me to redeem the time well, and to speak of his name even in my cave-man Spanish.

After the storm...

After the storm:

Once again I feel centered. When I last wrote, things seemed to be spiraling downhill everywhere. We were hit with bad news from all sides. From people in the village going to the hospital in a coma to problems trying to build a church in another village to my personal feelings of helplessness, we had our share of concern.

But just as the Psalmist writes, the man of God has no fear of bad news. First of all, I feel much better about my time here, and considerably more useful. And even more important, Silvia, the girl in the coma is now at home. We visited her today, and she is on her feet: a walking miracle. The doctor's didn't think she'd live just a week and a half ago.

While some issues remain unsolved, like the church project in Icaco, God has provided a respite from bad news.

Miguel, a reporter for one of the largest newspapers in the country visited La Esperanza and stayed the night along with his family. He's doing a story on the adoption of little Sofia. We ended up working for half a day straightening up the building so that their stay was as pleasant as possible. We rolled out the red carpet for him, and were not dissapointed. God is doing some good things in his heart. While he was here, he was moved by the love he saw.
"Never before," he said, referring specifically to Sofia. "Have I seen such love for someone who is not your flesh and blood."
At the end of the stay, he thanked us for treating him, his wife, and his son like family.

He also joined us for an unusual event. The youth we've befrinded here invited us to help them milk their cows at 4:30 this morning. Well, they originally told us 5:00. Then they moved it to 4:30. Then this morning, they showed up at 4:00. I havn't gotten up that early in... let's not talk about it. The reporter also followed us and documented the event with photos, which I hope to have in my possession eventually.

So while it was still pitch black, we walked down and ant infested trail to the cow pen, which is muddy, and full of unspeakable things, horrible things. Ok ok it's not that bad, but I had to trade my shoes out for some boots they offered. In the process, I discovered that milking a cow is yet another thing I have no natural talent with. But it's amazing how proficient the locals are at it. After we finished, in the early morning light, they shared a drink named ponche with us, which was absolutely delicious and perfect for an early morning treat (recipe found at the end).

Afterwards, we shared a traditional El Salvadorian breakfast with Miguel the reporter and his family. Then, Mike shared some of the word of God with him and presented him with a Bible. He was nearly moved to tears, and I pray that he will accept Christ in time. I love their family. Even though we only spent a brief time with them, I feel as though they were friends. And naturally, I hope that they come to know the ultimate friend, Jesus Christ. Please pray for him.

Another man arrived this past week. His name is David, and he's one of the hardest workers I've ever met. Already, he's repainting the fence and working on oh, about fifty other projects at once. I helped him a little, and I'll do well to take more opportunities to work with him.

Dan continues to work with the young men of this community. Be sure to pray for his ministry (more on that in the next blog).

And just for kicks, apparently, I wrote this blog on Monday the 6th. We went to the nearby city to go shopping for a few things before the teams arrived, which gave me the opporunity to go to the internet cafe. They dropped me off near the cafe, and I arrived to find the sign "cerrado". So I ended up sitting on the curbside waiting until they arrived back, and wishing I'd brought my Spanish English Bible...

Still, my Spanish is getting better. Be sure to pray for that too.

In Christ,
- Hermano Pablo

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Poche:
1 Drinking cup (for mixing and serving)

1 Banana
Suger (Azucar)
Ground Coffee (Cafe)
Fresh Milk

Use a spoon to mash up the banana in the bottom of a drinking cup until it's nearly liquid.
Then, take the suger and pour it in and mix some more.
Finally, pour some fresh warm milk in (preferrably right out of the cow)
Add the coffee and stir

Drink and enjoy.

Serving Size: Yourself... Mmmmm...
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