A Burden and Prayers Answered

When I first traveled to El Salvador three years ago, I fell in love with the country, with the culture, and with the people.  My trip and my learning about El Salvador deeply impacted my faith and the way I look at the world.  Going to El Salvador started a chain of changes within me that have led me down a road on which I have come to better understand the realities of the world and I have grown as a person and as a Christian.

Since I first went to El Salvador I have had the great desire to share this incredible experience with others.  My eyes were opened, my faith was challenged, and my perspective of the world was disturbed (in a good way…if that makes any sense).  The first time I went to El Salvador and every time since has been an odd mixture of incredible and devastating.  It is this odd mixture of incredible and devastating that I want to share with others.

I have also felt a burden.  A burden to make others go and see the injustice that so many people in the world have to live with.  A burden to make people understand.  I prayed for God to show me how to and help me do what God was calling me to do.

I tried a year ago to get together a group of people from my church to go to El Salvador, but God had other plans.  So, I tried again this year to put together a mission trip to El Salvador and there will be 8 people from my church who will be joining me in El Salvador this July!

The main purpose of this trip is to learn about El Salvador and explore if and how our church could potentially partner with a church or ministry in El Salvador.  We will learn about the culture, visit historical sites and museums, learn about the Lutheran Church in El Salvador, visit a few churches, and reflect on our experience.

I am excited that I will get to share my passion and knowledge about El Salvador with others.  I am excited for the people who will be joining me- I hope and pray that this trip will be a blessing for each of them and that they will grow in their faith.  We have a great and diverse group (and I think we are going to have some fun!).  And I am excited for what this trip will mean for my church-- potential long-term partnership and opportunities for growth.

Today the plane tickets for our group to go to El Salvador were purchased, and now it all seems so much more real and exciting!

73 days until we leave!