LA ANGOSTURA PICTURES

Hey everybody,

Thank you all so much for your prayer and support; I have really seen the Lord use it to suit His will. God bless you all! You are all here with me.

The Salvadoreans are SUCH a blessing to me. I came thinking that I had something to give these people, but I have to be honest and say that they have so much more to give. It’s a mystery why the Lord has made life this way: we have the resources and the Holy Spirit has prompted us with the desire to help; while the people here have such amazing knowledge of the Word and are so authentic in the faith.

I have never really had a job like this in which my days are sometimes 16 hours long, but all it takes to bless me is to attend a Bible study here- it’s all worth it. Just for fun, I attended the youth service this past Sunday, and I saw them lead the youth with such sincerity. A worship leader came up after the kids lead there own worship service; He turned on his Ipod and began to lead in even MORE worship this time with songs that were not “cutting edge” of Christian worship. When the kids sat in there seats silently, the man said (in Spanish), “I know that you all love to play soccer and that when you do, you scream and shout and give it everything you have. Now, I don’t want to see a single mouth not

moving or a single person in their seat.” All of the sudden, everyone got up and while some were not paying attention, there were so many that stood up and desperately sang to the Lord.

My heart breaks for these children in the hospital; some of them have been in and out for over 3 years. They have been there so long that they tell me all about the medicine and the machines that they are plugged into. Every team that comes and sees them is like a lifeline to them- even though they may not realize it. I know deep in my spirit that the love and the prayer they get from visitors keeps them going.

The kids in the orphanage here are so precious. They had me going for ten minutes throwing them around in the air. Then I got so tired, I fell to the ground… it was then… that they attacked! About six of them piled on top of me… not gently either. Then, as they were g

etting off of me, one stayed just a little bit longer, wrapped his arms around me, and sighed. Now I have been told many times here that I should lose weight (as if I wasn’t aware), but I know that for now the Lord has me extra-huggable.

Please pray for one of the boys in the hospital whose name is Kevin Alexander- the doctors placed him in a room alone with his mother which wasn’t a good sign. She came up to my co-missionary Ramon and pleaded with him to let her know how she could get him to the US. The boy had a serious infection that put him in constant pain and on death’s doorstep, but the hospital in El Salvador just didn’t have the medicine to help him. Ramon ministered to her, and when they were about to pray, he asked the boy what he wanted to ask the Lord for; the boy replied, “that I would live.” After that, all of us got together and prayed and prayed over this young man. Please keep in prayer with us for

this boy and his momma.

I had the amazing pleasure of taking a tour of the property at La Angostura, and I took lots of pictures! This is what the Lord is doing even through CC Spring Valley; it is going to be such a blessing for the community! La Angostura is a community of farmers and fishermen. Both have to drive hours daily to sell their product and make about $5.00 for 24 hours worth of work, and many of them have families of 12 to feed. The vision that

the Lord has given to Pastor Manuel, pastor of the church who will be using the property, is for a gigantic vocational ministry- training people to be bakers, carpenters, tailors, and more. Not only will that bless those people, but, then, it will develop other jobs for people who are able to take the produce into town to sell it. Please enjoy these pictures and keep what the Lord is going to do here in prayer.

El Salvador- First post

Hey Everybody!

Thank you so much for your prayers, and I apologize that it has been so long! Getting a computer down here to El Salvador was a little more difficult than I had first thought. It's been about two weeks now; the Lord is doing amazing things in this country. There have been communist rallies, presidential get-togethers, and a shortage of sunscreen (on my part at least). Thus, I sit here writing to you with a nice reddish-brown farmers tan.

I have had the pleasure of being able to serve here with the students from Potter's Field who had recently served at the Send the Message Conference; it was a week full of change and ministry. I decided to devote this first

photo album to those kids. Please join me in prayer for their individual walks with God as they return home after this “mountain-top experience,” as well as their ministries down the road.

This place is absolutely amazing, and the people have such a servant's heart. I have learned that I had no idea what it m

eans to serve and to work hard. When a man weighing about 140 lbs. picks up a bag weighing about 100 lbs. over his shoulder and walks a quarter of mile just for the sake of getting his job done, it changes the perspective of a middle-class gringo like me.

You guys, I HAVE to tell you something that has been such a blessing to me. Only a few of you have seen what's going on in La Angostura where our fellowship is building a church. Well, yesterday, I got to take part in a medical clinic for that entire area; it's a beautiful farming community full of precious people and

kids that will sit with you quietly just because they see that you love them. When I look at the place where this property is about to be built, I think of all those people that would flourish within its walls. There is a pastor that drives about an hour just to minister to the people.

Secondly, we have a chance to minister (in spite of some objections from anti-evangelicals) in a hospital in San Salvador. We deal mostly with children who are on dialysis and who desperately need a kidney. Most of them have parents who would easily give up a kidney in order to save their lives, but there are no (or very few) doctors who are able to do the surgery. Doctors also don't get paid much here at

all; a friend ofmine knows a Neurosurgeon here who barely makes enough to feed his family.

There is so much more. Please come down and visit in February, because you will be blessed, and you will be a blessing. Don't think that I won't get you any pictures of these and other ministries in time; I honestly want to be a good steward of the time I have to serve here.

Please pray for a city that we are going to minister in for the first time- Suchitoto.

We are praying that a similar work will happen there to what has happened in La Angostura. So far, God is opening many many doors.

God bless you all!

Email me with ANY questions! :-)