El Salvador Mission Report - Day 8, Alyssa
Aug 21, 2010Today was a really good day. We went to the public school. Oscar our driver has a wife that works there. She teaches the first grade room There are about thiry to fourty kids in her room. They loved us we brought them balloons, notebooks, and pencils. We attempted to teach them a few English phrases, when the lunch bell rang all came out and surrounded us. They loved my camera and we took lots of pictures. It was awesom! ITs kinda awkward. everywhere you go people just stareat you. strange.
The people at my evangelism site are really warming up to me. Today was kinda strange at first. My driver Daniel and I got there with about 30 minutes to go until I started to preach and there was no one there at my site yet. Well that concerned me because Daniel only knows one word in English !! He knows the word “tree” and that is only because took a half hour to teach that to him. So meanwhile i got my equiptment set up. By that time a few people trickled in. But then the bus came and it was FULL of people! Amazing! We had about a hundred people there that night!
That night their DVD songs were not working so they asked if i could put it on my computer. Now these computers are extremely weird. because they are on a syncromyzer. So I got that all set up and song service continued. When they were done and I was trying to get my compter back to normal, but for some reason it was not reading my sermons. Really bad! So I resarted the computer so many times. They finised the gift give-away and started to pray. I have to admit I did not listen to the prayer…I kept working. Literaly, as soon as they said AMEN it popped up. Amazing! The sermon went well and it was raining soooo hard. So after the service no one wanted to leave. So we had a photo shoot. The kids really warmed up to me then. One of the kids, Maurico rides home with me and Daniel every night. He is 12 years old. He came up to my translator and said that he was so proud because he rode in the same car as the preacher. It was so sweet.
Delon had one baptism at his church. Pastor Tara had a crazy taxi drive and God protected her through that experience. amen! Everything is going good!
- Alyssa Bianco
El Salvador Mission Report - Day 7, Lee G.
Aug 18, 2010Last night something hilarious happened. Delon saw Pastor Tara throwing out papaya seeds and was like, “What are you doing?!” He said that he used to eat papaya seeds in the islands and we were crazy for throwing them out. I personally would never think to eat them because they look like fish eggs but Delon exlaimed, “We used to eat those by the spoon full!” So Pastor Tara invted him, “Go ahead!” So Delon took a big spoon full and shoved it in his mouth. At first he was all into it like, “This is medicine in the islands dude!” I looked away for a second and then looked back to find his face with this serious, distraught expression. He was chewing slowly now with his mouth slightly open and then… “I was wrong. I was wrong… These things taste like shoe polish! I just ate motor oil! It burns! My stomach!” We laughed so hard we cried. That was rich.
Earlier that night I did my first alter call. No one came forward but a young couple decided to be baptised that night. I’m falling in love with the church I’ve been preaching at, La Providencia in El Salvador. The people are so kind and sincere. Even though we don’t speak the same language there is always such reverance, respect and love in the worship and I know I will miss them when I go.
It was obvious today that we were sleep-deprived. Everyone was on edge but we still had some big laughs. Today the group had an all-time high of arguments. 9 out of 10 conversations quickly turned into disputes within minutes and we hit a new record by 1:30 PM! And best of all, we’re in a foreign country and can’t escape each other! Today we went to the grocery store to get pens, crayons and notebooks that we’ll give to young students at a school tomorrow. On our way back home the car was overpacked so we had to squeeze four people into the back seat and I got the privelage of riding with my head out the window like a dog down a busy El Salvadorian city street; breaze blowing in my face and squinted eyes shielded by my glasses. I looked up at the vibrant blue sky with whisps of white clouds wondering if the sky in Philly looked the same… Probably not.
I gazed ahead as we sailed towards a huge green mountain clothed with trees grass and shrubs that stood proud and tall like a prize against the sky, causing the brightly colored houses and stores we passed to seem pale in comparison. I smiled in awe as I beheld this small piece of the beautiful earth God has made. We have tainted, imposed on and corrupted this planet with sin but one day God will cleanse and make it new again. I look forward to that day and am enjoying telling people in El Salvador that it’s coming soon and all we have to do is confess our sins to Jeusu Christ and accept him to be part of it. Please continue to pray that God will work through us so we can touch hearts and bring people to Christ. Thank you for your support and prayers.
Sincerely and with love,
Lee G
El Salvador Mission Report - Day 6, Pastor Tara
Aug 16, 2010Sunday, Day 6
I have posted some amazing reports from the students participating as evangelists on this trip. Their experiences that they’ve shared after
returning from our evening evangelistic meetings each evening have caused me to laugh and cry. I hope you’ve enjoyed the stories they’ve written for this
mission report blog. I am so proud of our team and I praise God for what He’s doing in and through each of them. Today, it is my turn to share.
This Sunday morning, we woke up early to leave the house by 7:30am for worship and meeting at the Mission Office. Each of the student evangelists
and the local pastors discussed how the first meetings have gone and how we can improve. After this, it was time to work on sermons and prepare for
our evening meetings. Tonight we made a very important appeal to follow Jesus and surrender their lives to Him. It was a beautiful gospel presentation
and our first altar call.
Last night at Amanda’s site, two girls raised their hands to accept Jesus. At Alyssa’s site one person was baptized that evening and two more committed
to baptism after her appeal. At Greg’s site, he had the opportunity to pray for healing for a little boy and the mom was crying all through his prayer.
At Lee’s site, a couple that has been going back and forth about committing to Christ, surrendered to him and said they want to be baptized! At Delon’s
site he had everyone’s attention and many talked afterwards about surrendering to Jesus. At my campaign site, there were many who surrendered to Christ
as I made the longest appeal I have ever made. I felt the Holy Spirit leading my words, saw tears in people’s eyes and invited them to come forward. We
all had powerful experiences with the sermon and appeal last night and we really see God working among all classes of people – poor and professional –
impressing their hearts with God’s amazing love!
It’s been a great experience leading this group, and preaching an evangelistic series myself here in El Salvador. The West Mission has really
devoted pastors and its been such a pleasure to join them in the evangelistic efforts with their churches. It’s encouraging to me as a pastor
to know that I have such amazing collegues in other parts of our world church!
The site that I am preaching at is a 3-sided government building with a metal roof and an open recreation area. This campaign is the joint
effort of three beautiful churches, lead by Pastor Juan Montano. He is the ShareHim coordinator for this Mission and he and his wife have been
fantastic! They are around the same age as Caleb and I too, which has been fun. His mother-in-law cooks amazing meals for us everyday for lunch and
then the church members provide us dinner each evening.
When I met with the church leaders on Thursday night before the meetings began, I told them that there was a church in Philadelphia called Chestnut Hill
Seventh-day Adventist Church that was joining them in prayer for all that God would do during our time together. That even as we are serving here, there
are members who are over 4,000 miles away who are a part of this evangelistic effort. You – my dear community – were an encouragement to them, and I pray
that they are an encouragement to you.
One of the most powerful experiences for me so far was yesterday, on Sabbath. After my sermon about the signs of the coming of Jesus, I felt impressed
to make an invitation for anyone to share the burdens of their heart and to have special prayer with me. One at a time, people came up to me as I stood
under the tree in the courtyard area of the church yard, and shared the burdens of their hearts.
As my translator and I ministered together, we heard stories about cancer, gang activity, engagements, abuse, family members who left the church,
sick babies, and addictions – and we prayed with each person, seeking the throne of grace on their behalf. As Luis, my translator, and I flowed seamlessly in conversation and in prayer, I sensed the Holy Spirit rest on us. There were many people who looked up after we said amen, with tears flowing
down their faces. It was a powerful experience of God’s grace!
I praise God for this experience, especially because I was praying to be able to minister even though I only speak a little bit of Spanish. I felt a
burden on my heart, as I do while ministering at Chestnut Hill, that I needed to make an invitation and to seek God with them in prayer. I followed what
God said and despite the language barrier meaningful connections and pastoral ministry took place!
One of the things that I have been pleasantly surprised with is the receptivity and excitement amoung the people to see a woman pastor. In this
country there are many women serving as elders and head elders. One of them shared with me that she was so happy to see me serving, because she
has prayed for the day women would be able to be pastors in our church, “and now here is the answer to my prayers,” she said. Men and women, young and
old, lay members and pastors all alike have been welcoming and supportive. They have invited me to minister here and embraced me with open arms.
I am encouraged that God is doing a work in our world-wide Seventh-day Adventist Church to draw us together around our mission and purpose in these
days before Jesus returns. As we unite together in God’s work – telling His precious children of His love and the truth in His Word – we will be
able to resist the arguments and “discussions” than can alienate us from each other and distract us from our calling.
It has been such a privilege to minister in El Salvador. Yesterday, one of the elders said to me, “We really like you and when you leave, a part of
our heart will go with you.” I can honestly echo the same in return – a part of my heart will remain here in El Salvador.
Know that all of you are on my heart and continue to be in my prayers!
Signing off from Santa Ana, El Salvador,
Pastor Tara
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