El Salvador-2026 Day 3

Buenas noche!!

It's been another very great day...lots of new experiences and lives touched by our team. BUT FIRST...I have to leave a shout out to our boat captains that will NEVER read this post...I wish that I could get my video to load here...and maybe when I get home it will...But those guys...are AMAZING. We have made 4 trips in the past two days back forth. It's about 40 minutes each trip. The tide was out 3 of the 4 times, which makes it a little trickier for them because the water can be 8-10 feet lower. The waterways can be very wide but also very shallow. There are some blind corners (if that is even a thing in a mangrove waterway), sandbars, and little fingers going different ways and they know just where they are. Last night we left around dusk, and he turned on his party light and Latino music and it was like a fiesta all the way home. This morning, we had a different driver but he was equally as fun. He actually bluetoothed his phone into some speakers adhered under the overhead tarp...and he played Karaoke...American karaoke...and then he serenaded us to several other songs. It was seriously a priceless experience. 

This morning people arrived via this transportation system to be seen in the clinic. As usual, we met together as a group, offered introductions of the medical and dental teams, Dr Morataya speaks a bit, and then I have been privileged to speak a few words to them as well. This has been a new experience for me here, and I have enjoyed it. Sometimes I speak some Spanish and English/Spanish mixups (just to keep my interpreter on their toes.) I have been very excited to be able to actually have short and simple conversations with people, and the interpreters are impressed that the patients can understand what I am trying to say to them. I still wish that I were so much better, but I am worlds further than I was 4 years ago!! I LOVE it!

After that, I showed up to my office in the canopy for a sweet day. Today, we were a few short on translators, but it was fun to see how everyone was able to adapt, switching jobs, switching translators, and switching locations all on the fly!

Today, the girls worked together at the "testing station." Molly started out just writing down information that Cami gave her from the tests, but before long, Molly had been taught, out of necessity, to take blood sugars and blood pressures. So if Cami needed to run and do an Hgb A1C test in the cool room that they were being stored in, Molly was pinch hitting and taking vital signs. The adults on our team have been asking them questions and soliciting interactions from them. It has been fun to watch them both become comfortable enough to show their true personalities. And I'd be pretty certain, that by the end of the week, they will have sweet-talked Ronald (or Ronny-boy as they have taken to calling him) into taking them for ice cream somewhere. 

We were able to pass out some more dresses, slap bracelets and Cami even did a few ear piercings today...Tomorrow will be the last day that we will see any children, so Molly will help Cami again and the two girls will make sure that the dresses have been distributed as well as story books. 

They will also use the earrings, and my guess is that Molly will be doing that by the end of the day as well! Molly will be back to the dental room after that under Oscar's expert supervision.

TRIGGER WARNING…

If you are squeamish you will want to quickly forward past the next two photos…but I believe it important to create an awareness of what people deal with here. 

This man cuts trees for a living, and probably picked up a fungal infection last summer during the rainy season. He has no money so he couldn’t go to the doctor….and he tried a topical fungal cream twice with no success. 

Without treatment and persistent hot humid conditions….and some intermittently high blood sugars…the condition spread from his feet….

To his hands. These felt like the skin of an elephant. Just like they look. Eventually spreading to his entire body. ITCHY like crazy.  We didn’t have the medicine that he needed, but we had two doses in a different stash. Our medicine fund will pay it back later! We were able to get him started and he will see the doctor that comes on Saturdays. Each week he will go to see how it is doing and to get more medicine that Dr M will send to him for free. THIS man…is a direct beneficiary of the extra money that you guys send to help!! We thank you for that!! He thanked me profusely and we reminded him that God was who he needed to thank. He replied with his eyes heavenward….Yes, God sent you to me so you could help to tell me what is wrong and to help me get better. Dios te bendiga…God bless you. 

Another unforgettable soul. I imagine that by the time I see him again, we will both have perfect bodies in heaven!

Lunch may have been a favorite for me...a lightly fried white fish, fresh lettuce salad with only lime juice and salsa squeezed over top, and rice. Those of you that know and love me, know that I am pretty particular with my diet as I try to allow my body to heal from years of sugar abuse, too much stress and too little sleep. I do not eat many carbs, and almost no sugars. So far this week I have eaten pupusas, pieces of tortillas, rice, POTATO TWICE, El Salvadoran hot chocolate, and a dark chocolate frozen banana. As well as fresh pineapple, mango, and papaya. It's so hard for me to watch these sweet people who live on diets that are similar, eat all the things that so adversely affect my blood sugar. However, in their defense, sugar addictions are very high here, and often times if they can stop that alone its enough to make a huge difference in their metabolism. 

Right before we ate lunch, I took a walk down the street with Eddie, one of the interpreters, to deliver some medication that had been prescribed by Dr Steve when they made a home visit. I'm telling you, the flowers in this place are like nothing I have ever seen before. They are everywhere, there are so many different varieties, and they are absolutely stunning. Eddie knew the names of some of them, which satisfied my nerdy side.

He was also the first person that could explain the cashew trees to me. In the past, I have only seen them like the above pictures...small and cashew like. 

This week, I have seen that they are actually hooked to these big yellow fruits. Most people here eat the fruit and throw the cashew part away...but Eddie admitted that some people will collect the dried cashew shells, split them and roast and salt them, the way most of are used to eating them. 

I was dying for the girls to see a banana flower...and wasn't disappointed. If you will look, the red flower at the bottom is HUGE...then it is connected to a very long stem of sorts, and all the way above it, you see a GINORMOUS cluster of bananas. 

A couple of other interesting things I saw on our walk...were the chickens running around inside their house. 

And these thatched roofs that were made out of dead fronds from a coconut tree. I had seen them previously on the island, but didn't know how they were made.

I also wanted to show a few pictures of the new reverse osmosis water system that was funded by donations. Up until the Millers orchestrated this project, there was ZERO clean water on this island for anyone. They have very shallow wells that bring up some water, but it is contaminated and made them sick often. It's also a huge reason that coke is such a popular choice. Previously, when I have been here, the same boats that carry us over, also brought over crates of little sandwich bag sized baggies filled with water. They (and we) bit off the corners and sucked the water out of the baggie. This new system has been a huge asset to the people, though some are slow to adopt its use. They can now have water delivered to them in 5 gallon plastic jugs, or they can bring their own to fill. It's free. There is a still a PVC pipe that is about 4 inches wide that is wired up across about a 50 feet section of the waterway that carries in water from the mainland that is used in their homes if they don't have a well.

This has been installed only within the last couple of years. Can you imagine, 2026---still people don't have access to the basics of life...clean drinking water??? It's seriously a crime against humanity that the rest of the world should live large like these things don't exist around us. But that's another sermon for another day.

Speaking of basic necessities, when the clinics were finished up, Monica decided to run to the Island market (and the word market is used very loosely in accordance to anything we would associate with the word) 7 of us opted into the rough truck ride. It was a good excuse to shout HOLA at everyone single person we saw on the way and to continue to marvel at the skinny cows (and many scrawny little calves), the trillion chickens in all the places, plenty of stray dogs, all the different types of houses, as well as to see the market. 

The lady was actually at the church service that starts at 4 every day, but Monica was able to locate her daughter that had just gotten out of school. She came and let us in. The room was maybe 30 by 50 feet, dark, with a ton of dusty items for sale, a lot like a garage sale, thrift store, corner snack store, and vegetable stand all combined into a very grimy scenario. She spent $2.25 on 10 avocados and 50 cents on the papaya. 

The avocados were stuffed with an egg salad and served to us for dinner. Delicious! We left a bit earlier tonight and got back to the dock as the sun set. We enjoyed a bit of time in the pool and as I type from a hammock, the girls are reading in their own hammocks before we hit the hay.

Tomorrow is another early day. We will leave around 7:00 am for a 2ish hour drive through the mountains to get to another mission site. I have no idea whether we will have Wifi access after we leave in the morning. I will continue to process my thoughts and document our trip details...but may have to wait until later to post them. 

I have enjoyed a lot of relational one on one time with various staff members of the El Salvadoran team, and I have no doubt that God is using me in their lives as much as He is using them in mine. Continue to lift our team up in prayer for safety and for sickness to remain at bay, but also that we might have the eyes of Christ as we work. That our words, our glances, our touches, our work...would all be glorifying to the Lord that led each of here...Ask that He would help us to release our own expectations and terms of service, and fully embrace the plan that He has for each of us. I think it works better that way....the hard part is actually surrendering our own plan. 

Hasta luego amigos!

El Salvador 2026…day 2

Today was a GREAT day...I'm not even sure that I am quite able to comprehend it all yet. Two nights of really poor sleep have made my brain a little foggy tonight as I try to sort it all out in my mind...But I want to try and capture the day...

The goal was to leave by 7:15. The girls are learning that times in El Salvador are "loose" at best!! Our cooks left last night after dinner, and our coordinator Ronald (pronounced Roan-ahld) was left to cook for our team...pack our stuff in the van...and drive us to the boat dock. Not a small order of things!! And 7:15...nor 7:30...nor 7:45 were happening!

We met up with the team from El Salvador at the docks, so we all left together in 2 boats. The waterways were busy today and we passed many boats going and coming, as well as fishermen.

Here is the side shot...they are pretty interesting to see!!

We saw today that Dad's across the world take their little guys fishing!! 

Dr Miller is such an interesting guy. He worked with National Geographic decades ago, and so he knew all about the mangrove forests from his time with them. He had the boat drivers pull over so he could teach us a little about them. I have heard parts in the past, but not a great explanation like I did today. If anything, I have been surprised at all the information that I am learning already in the past couple of days that I either didn't hear or forgot from previous trips. 

So, God put on my heart in February, that I needed to find these two books (The blood sugar solution by Dr Mark Hyman and Good Energy by Dr Casey Means) in Spanish. I was convinced that I needed to bring them along, but I wasn't entirely sure who was to get them. As time went, I knew that Dr Morataya would get a set of them...I had initially thought that two copies of each was the goal...but I had a nagging to get a third set...Even as I packed them, I kept questioning whether I should take all three sets, they are big books...and room was a commodity. BUT I did. As Monica and I chatted yesterday, I knew that Yvonne, the nutritionist that helps on the Island would need one(many of the kids are still malnourished, and she helps to identify which ones, and makes sure to get them into the feeding program they started) Dr got his set yesterday, and he was so appreciative to get them, especially after I told him about my own journey and how they impacted both how I live my own life, and how I manage the lives of my patients...I didn't expect Yvonne to be so thrilled...She was ecstatic and can't wait to read them and then make some handouts based on the information to give to the people. She wanted pictures, and that made my heart joyful, because I knew that she really felt blessed by them! 

I knew that I would know who would get the last set...but I didn't know how many days it would take...In God's providence, our coordinator Ronald was my translator today...and because of the A1C kits that were provided for us to take, I heard a little more about HIS journey...Toward the end of the day, I told him that he should have Cami check his A1C so he knew how he was doing...She misunderstood me and did his fingerstick blood sugar reading. Which was actually not bad considering it was after lunch. BUT I knew that we were to press it, so I asked her later to catch him and do one. As it turned out, his A1C put him in a diabetic level, but still at "goal" for lifestyle management. As I have learned, this won't improve unless measures are taken. In the conversation, he mentioned that he had done a lot of research on getting his BS down the first time...and took a lot of the measures to correct it...and I knew (before we had the A1C results back) that HE was the one who was to receive the books. And as I sit here in the foyer, soaking in my own sweat and listening to the ocean roar, Ron sits across the foyer, reading his new book. To GOD be the glory for the provision...not just to US in our journey here...but to SO MANY people in El Salvador...The book will change Ron's life...and the book in Yvonne and Dr M's hands, might change the trajectory of chronic disease in El Salvador...The part I can't process...is how BIG God is...to orchestrate ALL. THESE. DETAILS...and frankly...why He even cares about 3 sets of books enough to put it in my head...and put them in my hands. I'm telling you...someday, when we meet Jesus face to face, I think we will be astonished to see what He does as He weaves all the tapestry together!! 

I was also SOO excited to see old friends...Oscar is a dental worker, trained by his sister a dentist...The first year I met he and his sister...I remember learning that we didn't have to speak the same language to connect and interact...I would talk in English, they in Spanish...and we would use facial expressions, hand gestures, and tone of voice to get our thoughts across..I remember thinking how fun it was to banter back and forth, not having a real clue about what was being said...and still be able to belly laugh, one up them, and belly laugh some more...TODAY...Oscar spoke to me in English AFTER I spoke to him in Spanish...Communication today was much different than in the past and what an incredible blessing!! He has been trying to learn English...and while we were both busy today, we had plenty of catch up joking and harrassing one another...I can't wait for the rest of the week. Today I also learned that he is a very patient person. He really took his time teaching and training Molly into the world of dentistry. We aren't sure that he understood what a hygienist was in the States, but it won't hurt Molly to understand how to be a thorough and caring practitioner in her future!! He taught her to use the tools, and then sat back and let her work. It sounds like she had a great day. He and Oscar 2 (we have TWO Oscars this week) were joking that she wouldn't want to come back with them tomorrow...but my gut says they were wrong!!

Cami was also pretty nervous this morning as we got ready to start. Her interpreter was originally from ES, but had taken shelter in Canada many years ago. Cami's job was to check blood pressures, blood sugars and A1C (the average blood sugar over the last 3 months) We realized early on, that the A1C kits would not work where she was stationed, because they were TOO HOT. Once we got them to one of the clinic rooms with AC, it worked perfectly. 

She has been studying Spanish on Duolingo as I have been for 4 years now. I asked her if she was able to use any of her Spanish...She said yes...Hola, como estas (hi, how are you). Si, No and Lo Siento (I'm sorry) I have to stick you again. We got a laugh out of that.

The A1C kits are also going to be INVALUABLE for these people. We didn't use very many today...mostly because no one remembered that we had them except Monica and I. BUT...we diagnosed TWO people that didn't know they were diabetic, and we used the objective data to show a third lady that she needed to increase her medications (as a previous doctor had suggested to her) before she lost part of her leg like a neighbor on the Island recently had. We had grounds to freely talk about the elephant in the room (diet and diabetes) and talk about measures that they will have to take to heal. I think this objective data is going to make it easier to convince people that they have problems.

I had the opportunity to talk to the group before we started today...I have opted to share the gospel first and leading into the fact that when He puts His Spirit within us, we become His temple...Today I shared a little more about what that looks like for them...and I was able to remind them that even more than being interested in their physical health, we are most concerned about their Spiritual well being. I am starting to question God about the real reason I am here this time...and what job He really sent me to do. If you are reading and praying, lift that up in the next few days. I'm not sure that handing out ibuprofen is it.

Could. NOT. resist this adorable shot. Brotherly love is universal...and so are cell phones! Ha!

And, so after my little talk this morning, I couldn't help taking a photo of a main culprit of the talk in the first place. In the VERY back of the photo, those girls had showed up to sell sugared juices to the people. It's how they make their money...and I can appreciate that. It's a hard row to hoe. There isn't a real grocery store on the Island...but a little quick shop with plenty of unhealthy stuff. They all came with candy and chips today. It really breaks my heart, as much as it does when I work a concession stand for my kids and sell obscene amounts of sugared snacks to the kids running through. I wish there was a great solution to all of it.

We started out with FIVE providers in one small air conditioned room this morning, but can you imagine an empty cinder block room with 5 people, 5 plus patients and a handful of interpreters?? It took me one patient to know I couldn't stay there! About the same time Dr Steve, whom I served with on my first trip, decided the same thing...so we both took our gear and retreated to the "upper room." Air conditioning came from the Lord as a breeze through the coconut and mango trees. Doubly glad for the breeze and open air after the first two kids I saw had the stomach flu. 

Because we had sooooo much baggage, I only had a few dresses today...the rest of our supplies didn't get to the Island until midafternoon. This little sweetheart was glad to have gotten one in just her size!!

I also had the opportunity to explain and hand out a few menstrual kits this afternoon. Monica would like to take the rest of them to the prison on Friday as they have the fewest resources of them all. She is checking on the details...but they will be well appreciated by whomever gets them. 

Dr Larry is nearly always the last to finish, and I had located a couple frisbees while rooting through the bags.

Cause if it wasn't hot enough already, what's a little more sweat!! Only one of these guys had ever seen a frisbee (at his school) and none of them had actually ever thrown one...It was hilarious to see them launch it straight up in the air...and at one point we had to move to the back of the lot because I kept tapping it over the fence...so then I had 2 kids scaling a barbed wire fence to get my frisbee...I had flashbacks from the movie "The Sandlot" watching that action...and there are enough rogue dogs around that it totally could have been a thing. 

They had a hard time getting the wrist action down, but finally caught it!! It's a good thing are few windows to bust out with it cause I sent it home with them! I was also amazed that Oscar 2, the interpreter...probably in his late 20 to early 30s...had also NEVER thrown a frisbee. The things we take for granted!!

After THAT...Molly, Cami, and I took a little walk in the fine dust roads...and then caught a ride with Monica and some of the others to drive around the "block" to check stuff out. 

Many houses are made of sticks or sticks and mud chinking, or cinderblocks...a few with rusted old tin pieces. 

There was a little traffic in the narrow street as well...someone was moving their cattle home.

The doc from NYC told us there wasn't a good place for us to sit when we climbed in the back of the truck...Dude, we are FARM people...this is what we do...No one got bucked out, though Marvin did about lose his hair in a low hanging mango branch. Many more laughs!

We had some fried potato and cheese things for dinner tonight and caught a dusk ride home in the boat. It was so awesome to jam out to Spanish music with his party light on the canopy above us while skimming across the water, watching the white egrets find their resting spot for the night. 

Hopefully, all will get acclimated to the heat and humidity so we can continue with the energy and enthusiasm that we need to survive. We return to the Island for a busier day than today...Pray for the hearts that got hard news today about their health that they thought was fine...only to discover that it isn't. The course of their lives can change for the good of themselves and their families if they take hold of what they learn. As I told one 38 year old mom with 2 children under 5..."today was a BLESSING for you...because you get a chance to change your health for the sake of you AND your kids." Pray for them...it's as hard if not harder to shake the habits than it is in the US...

I know that some of you are bound to have questions...I would love to answer any that come up!! It's so much information, that I'm sure that I forget things!!

Hopeful to type again tomorrow night!

 

El Salvador 2026..day 1

 

Day 1 was one of the best first days here ever!! After a horrible night of sleep (apparently 17 degrees Celsius equals 62 degrees...and they don't have blankets here...because there is generally no air conditioning...62 degrees for this cold blooded girl is like Alaska.)...we were greeted with this beautiful sunrise! By 6:00 ES time, I couldn't stand it another second, so I pried my frozen self off the bed and headed out to see the ocean. I could hear the waves roaring all night, much like the wind gusts in Kansas...And I just needed to see it!

Cami and Molly were pretty much right behind me, and what a blessed treat it was!! We met the team for a hearty Salvadoran breakfast of scrambled eggs, beans, and fried plantains. With toasted bread or fried tortilla wedges. 

Church started at 9 because it is outdoors, and it gets HOT...It was a short 20 minute drive, and was fun to watch the girls watch out the windows of the van. Our US team numbers 12...and it's the biggest team I have served with here. It feels different than in the past...but in a very good way!

As a music lover at heart...I LOVE this type of worship...Loud...Upbeat...People are singing and clapping...you can absolutely feel the joy in the hearts of the people here. We were also treated to a couple of songs that we sing on the radios in the US...and since the tune was familiar, singing with the Hispanic lyrics was doable! 

This morning was a special morning for the church...There were 12 US missionaries, as well as staff from CFCI (Christ for the City International--the mission organization that we work with here. I also use CFCI for our Dallas YG trips.) SO, we got a bilingual history of how the pastor and his family were called to drive to this little community 3-4 times per week to build a church and pour into the community. It is difficult to see, but behind the Millers in the above photo shows some new dark windows that have been installed. They are planning to have more windows installed and air conditioning within the next couple of months. That will be an incredible upgrade for them. A lot of sweat moves around on Sunday mornings there!

This mission trip is also the 10th anniversary of Larry and Monica's first trip to El Salvador. We were able to hear about all of the improvements that have happened because of what God did through the perseverant mentorship and leadership of one couple that was committed to serve God to the least of these. Their story of faithful service is inspiring to say the least!

Monica asked me shortly after we arrived at the church if I might be willing to bring some words to the church...Which made me nervous...but not nervous at the same time...When it was my turn, I was able to share the gospel with them, and use Scripture to talk about the importance of taking care of our bodies, which are the temple of the Lord after we accept Christ's gift of salvation. I shared that Satan has made our food and drinks so lucrative and addictive that we are destroying our health because of them. I was also able to pray for their church and their community. My friend Rudy was there today, and he interpreted for me. He was the coordinator for my first trip, and a beautiful soul! I haven't seen him in 4 years, and it was fun to catch up and tell stories!

After that, Rudy's dad, PASTOR Rudy, talked about and blessed his other son who is leaving this week for Los Angeles to be with his new wife. In my life, I have seen only a few people that radiate the Holy Spirit SOOO brightly, that you can just FEEL Jesus without doubt...Pastor Rudy is that 100%. I have met him 3 times now and he can call me by name. Each time I have felt this about him. I think my picture captured his personality perfectly. They will miss their son, but still have Rudy and their sister Grace that will continue to help with the mission of sharing the gospel with the community of Pedrigal. 

When we got back to the Villa after church, we had about an hour before lunch. Our coordinator Ronald, stopped by our hammocks to see if we needed any thing from the supermarket. He politely agreed to take us along for the ride...so Molly, Cami and I rode along with Ronald and Paul, who needed a pair of sandals. 

Diabetes is RAMPANT in El Salvador, as it is in the US...primarily because of their snacks and food choices, along with Coke and this "juice," which actually has ZERO juice in it. They are as addicted to sugar as we are in the US, but they also drink it because in many places, their water still makes them sick! (The girls will have brushing their teeth with bottled water mastered in a few more days...it has been fun to watch them sort it out!)

Little fast food restaurant right outside the doors to the grocery store...Cami remarked "just like Costco."

We did purchase a few little snacks...

When we got back to the Villa, a little guy tried to sell them some coconuts...which they declined, but the CFCI crew bought all he had, and the little man chopped them up with his machete, and the girls poured out the water (one of THE best electrolyte solutions ever...HA. Imagine, best electrolytes...created by God!) and then ate the soft meat with spoons. 

Fresh coconut consumption...CHECK. The verdict was that neither of them liked the water, but deemed the soft coconut meat edible. I happen to LOVE the meat myself, and only drank the juice of one so it didn't go to waste. Tomorrow should be fresh mango!

After lunch of marinated and flat topped chicken and fresh vegetables, we gathered together as a team to introduce ourselves and share. It was lengthy, but it was so intriguing to see what God has orchestrated. We have a very diverse team, and I can't wait to see how the week plays out.

Around 3, everyone was dismissed to enjoy the beach, pools, and hammocks. The doctors and myself stuck around for a second meeting to discuss the medications we have access to and some of the details of how the clinic will work. 

Dr Morataya and his wife Nellie came this afternoon as well. He is the medical director for CFCI, and he has a heart of gold. He loves what he does, and he loves serving his people. I was able to gift him a 3 month supply of continuous glucose monitors to use for himself and his wife to have a better comprehension about how food, stress, sleep, and exercise affect our metabolic function. I also brought him my two favorite books, written in Spanish. God has laid heavy on my heart that the only way to help the people here, is the same way we have to help them in the US...we have to help them understand that their bodies were miraculously created to repair and heal themselves...we have to teach them how to do that...and God impressed upon my heart in August that giving Dr M the tools he needs to better understand, HE can ultimately educate his people. He was deeply touched by the gift, and was amazed at things I shared that I have learned from my own personal journey. Please pray that he will find the time he needs to read the books, and that God would show him a different perspective to helping him help his people how to manage their health. He also told us that their is a wave of stomach flu going around here right now...so while you are praying in March of 2026...please add prayer that our team will avoid it completely.

FINALLY, I made it to dig my toes in the sand. Walking barefoot on the beach has become one of my favorite things in the world...and tonight didn't disappoint. About the time I had walked as far as I felt comfortable going by myself (I am a chicken after all) two of my teammates, Martin and Paul came walking along...and they graciously let me join them. It's really hard to explain how crazy it is to form very comfortable bonds with siblings in Christ. We met less than 24 hours ago...all live vastly different lives in vastly different locations...yet could chat about our upcoming week, our experiences, or walk silently in tandem in a foreign land and be completely comfortable doing so. 

Today I have been reminded more than once...that I...you...we...all those who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb...are what make up God's church...not a building in a town or a city...but that when we have the same Spirit of Christ living within us...we can communicate via the Spirit...whether singing in a foreign tongue, sharing a hug (we were hugged a LOT this morning at church) with strangers, or gathered around the table with saints you don't know, and may never see again in this life. We make up God's team. And it takes all of us doing our part to get the work done. What a beautiful design!

After dinner, we sorted through the gifts brought from the US and made plans for their recipients. We also found out that the team will be returning to this beautiful Villa Monday and Tuesday nights to sleep after working at the Island...which means 4 trips in the boats...and 2 more nights to hear the mighty roar of the ocean waves. I'll take that!! As I type, everyone has wound down. I am sitting in a hammock typing my thoughts, trying to take it all in. I don't want to miss a THING...Tomorrow we report to breakfast by 6:30 with estimated leave time around 7:15...I believe that I get the privilege of addressing the clients each morning...so I'm praying that God will use my voice to share His truth...both about salvation, and about God's design for the stewardship of our bodies. 

I'm excited to be a part of what God is doing in El Salvador...and I am equally excited to be tasked with journaling it out so that others will also be able to see God's story as it unfolds through this week!!