¡Que ondas amigos!
I hope that you are all encouraged by this quick update on how God has been moving in our ministry on campus and in El Salvador.
Picking up where we left off, we had a solid finish to the week. We were all encouraged as another student at Evangelica came to know the Lord after Rachael, Lana, and Rosa had the opportunity to share with her The Four Spiritual Laws and the Gospel. That night we invited students to join us in a feast of one of our favorite traditional Salvadorian foods, pupusas! It was great to make a connection with the students and build relationships with the students already involved in VE (Vida Estudiantil) as well as welcome new students as we celebrated their culture. We had an awesome turnout, and the place was packed out with hungry college students.
Thursday, the girls were able to reconnect with some of the students for a game of futbòl. After bonding on the field, a few of the chicas engaged in some conversations with questions about faith and our purpose. The girls are hoping to get together again soon for some more gametime and discussion.
We hosted our last weekly meeting at Evangelica this Thursday. It was exciting to see some new faces and to be able to worship together and dive into the Word as a body. The movement is growing and gaining regulars and we were encouraged to see some of our friends from the previous week return. We are sad to be ending our time at Evangelica and we found out Thursday that all the campuses in El Sal are closing in attempt to prevent the spread of the swine flu.
Today we had a devotional with the local staff followed by a planning session. We spent some time as a group talking about what ministry is going to look like for the remainder of our time here as schools are closed. We are excited to see how God will continue to move through the sudden change of plans.
Keep our team and this ministry in your prayers. We ask that you would for our upcoming parent dinner and that the families of the students involved in VE would attend and have their hearts softened to the ministry. Pray also that the Lord would guide us by His Spirit in equipping the students with training and discipleship that they would by grace continue growing in their faith and reaching other students with the Gospel.
Con amor,
Mike, Anna, and La Familia
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Mid Project Update
Hey all!
Here is the latest on what is happening con la familia.
Looking back on last week, it is apparent that God's hand is moving on the campus of Evangelica. Some of the university staff invited us to present and be a part of their scheduled class periods. During the time given to us we were able to share personal testimonies and to present the Gospel to the students. It has been especially encouraging to have our local brothers and sisters in Christ taking ownership of their movement and coming alongside us by being a part of the presentations and sharing their faith. Also during this week we were invited to take part in a sports tournament with the medical students. The time we had playing some of these students' favorite sports opened doors for us to build relationships and begin conversations to encourage students spiritually to grow in their faith and to consider the Gospel.
At the end of the weekend we were able to spend some time in reflection on the project so far and to offer praises to God for the work that has been done. This time was crucial to the encouragement of the team and has offered an immense help to each of us in motivating us to continue pressing forward with the message of the Gospel and perservere through the last half of the trip. The local director of VE, Lyle, offered us a great deal of encouragement in sharing with us how much growth he has seen in the spiritual lives of the local students. Lyle informed us that since our being here the students have been sharing their faith and making the movement their own, and it has been a time of discipleship and growth.
This past weekend was our mid-project retreat. We left for the beach and stayed for the weekend and were able to spend some time relaxing and recharging with the family. It was a sweet time to refocus on receiving rest from our Heavenly Father.
This week has gotten off to a great start and we were all greatly encouraged today by another student accepting Christ after Jackie, Quinn, and Leah shared the Gospel with her. We are continuing to set up appointments to meet with students.
Please continue to pray for our group. Pray that students would continue to be impacted by the Gospel. Also, it is a possibility that campuses will be closed because the health department of El Sal wants to take every precaution possible to prevent the spread of the swine flu. Pray that our ministry here would not be hindered and that we would be able to continue meeting with new students and encouraging the students involved in VE.
With love!
La familia
Here is the latest on what is happening con la familia.
Looking back on last week, it is apparent that God's hand is moving on the campus of Evangelica. Some of the university staff invited us to present and be a part of their scheduled class periods. During the time given to us we were able to share personal testimonies and to present the Gospel to the students. It has been especially encouraging to have our local brothers and sisters in Christ taking ownership of their movement and coming alongside us by being a part of the presentations and sharing their faith. Also during this week we were invited to take part in a sports tournament with the medical students. The time we had playing some of these students' favorite sports opened doors for us to build relationships and begin conversations to encourage students spiritually to grow in their faith and to consider the Gospel.
At the end of the weekend we were able to spend some time in reflection on the project so far and to offer praises to God for the work that has been done. This time was crucial to the encouragement of the team and has offered an immense help to each of us in motivating us to continue pressing forward with the message of the Gospel and perservere through the last half of the trip. The local director of VE, Lyle, offered us a great deal of encouragement in sharing with us how much growth he has seen in the spiritual lives of the local students. Lyle informed us that since our being here the students have been sharing their faith and making the movement their own, and it has been a time of discipleship and growth.
This past weekend was our mid-project retreat. We left for the beach and stayed for the weekend and were able to spend some time relaxing and recharging with the family. It was a sweet time to refocus on receiving rest from our Heavenly Father.
This week has gotten off to a great start and we were all greatly encouraged today by another student accepting Christ after Jackie, Quinn, and Leah shared the Gospel with her. We are continuing to set up appointments to meet with students.
Please continue to pray for our group. Pray that students would continue to be impacted by the Gospel. Also, it is a possibility that campuses will be closed because the health department of El Sal wants to take every precaution possible to prevent the spread of the swine flu. Pray that our ministry here would not be hindered and that we would be able to continue meeting with new students and encouraging the students involved in VE.
With love!
La familia
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Wrapping up our first week on campus!
Hey all!
This is Mike and Alex giving you the latest on what's going down with "la familia." We have had quite an eventful week for sure.
Last weekend, we had a fourth of July party and were able to hang out with a bunch of the students who are involved with Vida Estudiantil (Salvador's Campus Crusade) and it was a really sweet time to get to know where some of the students were on a spiritual level. We were all super encouraged.
This week was the first week that we were able to start our ministry on the campus of Evangelica. The university reopened on Tuesday, and we were able to spend a few hours Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday meeting with students, and sharing the Gospel. Wednesday we invited a few students to our "English Club" where we got to hang out and goof around while continuing to build relationships with the students. Thursday was a big highlight in the week because a student at Evangelica prayed to receive Christ. Rosa and Manuel (one of the staff members in El Sal) had the priveledge of evangelizing to this student, Karen, and have plans to follow up with her this coming week. Keep her in your prayers and ask the Lord that the seed planted in her heart would be rooted in Christ.
Also, we held our first weekly meeting for VE (Vida Estudiantil) and it went really well. We had close to twenty students from Evangelica attend, as well as students from other campuses who are involved with VE. We are excited to see the movement grow and to see the locals taking ownership.
Please pray for our minibus, "the prego!" We were able to do some sight seeing and visit San Salvador's national volcano, and on the way back we had some minor issues with the brakes of the vehicle, a.k.a. they caught on fire. We were able to stop and extinguish the fire with some waterbottles we had handy, but the damage was done and the brakes are shot, so for the time being the local staff has been kind enough to shuttle us around. Not to worry any padres (parents) our project leaders Rachael and Taylor were very calm and handled the situation in the safest manner possible.
Highlight of today was spending some quality time with a local church in downtown San Sal. We spent hours reaching out to the children of the community and had a crazy time dancing and running and singing with about 60 kids ranging from ages 4 to 15. It was awesome, but heartbreaking at the same time since so many of them live in conditions that are incomparable to poverty in the States. The ministry that the church has is such a blessing to the community and the teachers there told us that there has been such a change in the hearts of the kids. The love that we received from them today was something that was completely absent when the ministry first began.
Continue to pray that our ministry would reach hearts and save souls in Christ and that the students here would continue to grow in Christ and take lead in this movement.
Blessings!
Michael and Alex
This is Mike and Alex giving you the latest on what's going down with "la familia." We have had quite an eventful week for sure.
Last weekend, we had a fourth of July party and were able to hang out with a bunch of the students who are involved with Vida Estudiantil (Salvador's Campus Crusade) and it was a really sweet time to get to know where some of the students were on a spiritual level. We were all super encouraged.
This week was the first week that we were able to start our ministry on the campus of Evangelica. The university reopened on Tuesday, and we were able to spend a few hours Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday meeting with students, and sharing the Gospel. Wednesday we invited a few students to our "English Club" where we got to hang out and goof around while continuing to build relationships with the students. Thursday was a big highlight in the week because a student at Evangelica prayed to receive Christ. Rosa and Manuel (one of the staff members in El Sal) had the priveledge of evangelizing to this student, Karen, and have plans to follow up with her this coming week. Keep her in your prayers and ask the Lord that the seed planted in her heart would be rooted in Christ.
Also, we held our first weekly meeting for VE (Vida Estudiantil) and it went really well. We had close to twenty students from Evangelica attend, as well as students from other campuses who are involved with VE. We are excited to see the movement grow and to see the locals taking ownership.
Please pray for our minibus, "the prego!" We were able to do some sight seeing and visit San Salvador's national volcano, and on the way back we had some minor issues with the brakes of the vehicle, a.k.a. they caught on fire. We were able to stop and extinguish the fire with some waterbottles we had handy, but the damage was done and the brakes are shot, so for the time being the local staff has been kind enough to shuttle us around. Not to worry any padres (parents) our project leaders Rachael and Taylor were very calm and handled the situation in the safest manner possible.
Highlight of today was spending some quality time with a local church in downtown San Sal. We spent hours reaching out to the children of the community and had a crazy time dancing and running and singing with about 60 kids ranging from ages 4 to 15. It was awesome, but heartbreaking at the same time since so many of them live in conditions that are incomparable to poverty in the States. The ministry that the church has is such a blessing to the community and the teachers there told us that there has been such a change in the hearts of the kids. The love that we received from them today was something that was completely absent when the ministry first began.
Continue to pray that our ministry would reach hearts and save souls in Christ and that the students here would continue to grow in Christ and take lead in this movement.
Blessings!
Michael and Alex
Thursday, July 2, 2009
First Week without the STINTERS
Hola amigos! We are almost done with our first week with the STINTERS gone and us all on our own. It has been difficult because our main university we will be on, Matias, has been closed this whole week. For the first time, we have had to plan and create our own events and activities for the students of Vida Estudiantil. God has blessed us with so many different opportunities to do with the students. Tuesday night, Manuel and Cecy (the local staff couple for Vida Estudiantil) invited us to go see an Athletes and Action basketball game. We met up with some of the students and cheered for the players. Anna was able to share the gospel with a woman who was sitting on the bleachers. Seeing this made me realize that we are not just here for the Salvadorian students, but to ANYONE we encounter here at El Salvador. Jennifer, a student at Matias, made us homemade popsicles from her family's business. They were dish dish delish! Yesterday, we invited all the students to go see the hit Pixar movie, Up. Little did we know, we were about to watch a whole movie in Spanish with no English subtitles! It definitely forced us to practice and learn more Spanish. All the students loved us and it was just a good time to get to know and connect with all of them. This morning, we had a "date lunch" with Jesus. We all spent about three hours just with the Lord. It was just so cool to meditate on Him and be able to devote time where it is just us and the Lord. After, we organized a soccer game for any of the students to come and play with us at a local park in San Salvador. We had a pretty good turn out of students from Vida Estudiantil and also we were able to make friends with the locals who happened to play with us. It was so enjoyable to play in the rain and and not care at all how muddy we were! Seeing the huge smiles on the students' faces when they scored a goal or make a good move was so amazing to witness. Reflecting back on just that game, I felt reassurance of my purpose here. I am so excited for what God has planned for us this weekend. I pray that our team can just rest and find comfort in God and the unknown head of us. A praise for Mike because his health is gradually improving and is almost 100% better! If you could keep praying for healthy and safety for our team that would be amazing! Thanks for reading and we will talk to you soon!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Hello again from El Salvador!
So... a lot has happened since we last met. The second night that we were here the STINTers threw a going away party/welcome party where we had a chance to meet some of the students that they have had friendships with this past year. It served as an amazing transition and introduction for our group. The night was filled with good conversation, good food, and of course a pinata. Some of us even attempted to dance Salsa, though I am sure it looked nothing like it. It was a ton of fun and God's hand was evident as the local students shared how their lives had been impacted by the STINTers and the movement on the campuses in El Salvador.
Another night we traveled up the mountains to eat at what the STINTers said was the best Pupusa place in town. Pupusas are food if you didn't know, it's ok if you didn't 'cause I didn't before I got here. They are pretty much a round pancake looking tortilla made of rice or corn and filled with any number of things, but most commonly cheese (queso) and beans(frijoles). The restaurant was on top of the mountain with a beautiful view of the city. It was so cool to see all of San Salvador from one point, and it gave us a picture of where we will be serving for the next five weeks. It grew our hearts for the culture and the people of this place. Not only were our hearts affected, but our stomachs as well. Pupusas, as the word may sound, leads to many poopsas, if you know what I mean.
It has been such a blessing for us to have the STINTers here. They have given us a lot of insight into the culture of El Salvador and what ministry looks like on the University of Matias. Getting to know their hearts and passion in this ministry has given us so much encouragement to be a part of what God is doing here. Yesterday, they gave us a tour of the campus, where we will be spending most of our time. They showed us where they have held their weekly meetings, where we will be holding an English club, and where we will be meeting and sharing with students.
Anyways, until next time, here are some prayer requests that we would love prayer for.
The overall health of the group, but specifically for Mike, Anna and Rachael.
For God's plan for this week since all the campuses are closed.
For a smooth transition in ministry since the STINTers have left and we have taken over.
That we would be able to connect with the students
Maintain community in our group.
We are excited for what has already been done and confident in what God is going to do this summer. Woo! Peace out from JQ (joey/quinn)
Another night we traveled up the mountains to eat at what the STINTers said was the best Pupusa place in town. Pupusas are food if you didn't know, it's ok if you didn't 'cause I didn't before I got here. They are pretty much a round pancake looking tortilla made of rice or corn and filled with any number of things, but most commonly cheese (queso) and beans(frijoles). The restaurant was on top of the mountain with a beautiful view of the city. It was so cool to see all of San Salvador from one point, and it gave us a picture of where we will be serving for the next five weeks. It grew our hearts for the culture and the people of this place. Not only were our hearts affected, but our stomachs as well. Pupusas, as the word may sound, leads to many poopsas, if you know what I mean.
It has been such a blessing for us to have the STINTers here. They have given us a lot of insight into the culture of El Salvador and what ministry looks like on the University of Matias. Getting to know their hearts and passion in this ministry has given us so much encouragement to be a part of what God is doing here. Yesterday, they gave us a tour of the campus, where we will be spending most of our time. They showed us where they have held their weekly meetings, where we will be holding an English club, and where we will be meeting and sharing with students.
Anyways, until next time, here are some prayer requests that we would love prayer for.
The overall health of the group, but specifically for Mike, Anna and Rachael.
For God's plan for this week since all the campuses are closed.
For a smooth transition in ministry since the STINTers have left and we have taken over.
That we would be able to connect with the students
Maintain community in our group.
We are excited for what has already been done and confident in what God is going to do this summer. Woo! Peace out from JQ (joey/quinn)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Day 1: We Arrived!
Bienvenidos, Chicos!
This morning, we arrived at the beautiful tropics of San Salvador with welcoming cheers from the STINT team, who has been building the foundation of our ministry for a year here in El Salvador. After a much needed rest from a long red eye flight, we received encouragement and helpful advice from the STINT team members on how to interact and converse with the Salvadorian students on two of the main universities we will be ministering to. We are all extremely excited to be a part of God's movement this summer and see what exciting adventures He has for us. Please pray that Christ will give us strength as we meet with some of the Salvadorian students tomorrow and that He will keep us unified in all we do to bring glory to His kingdom.
Hasta Luego!
Always,
La Familia
This morning, we arrived at the beautiful tropics of San Salvador with welcoming cheers from the STINT team, who has been building the foundation of our ministry for a year here in El Salvador. After a much needed rest from a long red eye flight, we received encouragement and helpful advice from the STINT team members on how to interact and converse with the Salvadorian students on two of the main universities we will be ministering to. We are all extremely excited to be a part of God's movement this summer and see what exciting adventures He has for us. Please pray that Christ will give us strength as we meet with some of the Salvadorian students tomorrow and that He will keep us unified in all we do to bring glory to His kingdom.
Hasta Luego!
Always,
La Familia
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